


(Back To You) To A Better Place

by Sinderella (Rainia_Nytewolf1)



Series: Better Place [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, Brief suicidal thoughts, Canon-Typical Violence, Car Accidents, Depression, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Frottage, I Cried Writing the Prologue, Intimacy, Keep tissues handy, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage, Mention of major character death, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Poor Chris is A Bag Of Emotions, Same-Sex Marriage, Serious Injuries, Stitches, Time Travel, very emotional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 67,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25847683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainia_Nytewolf1/pseuds/Sinderella
Summary: After Eddie's death, Chris is left a hollowed out shell of himself. When one day he wakes up back in 1996, he gets a chance to change everything.
Relationships: Chris Benoit/Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit/Nancy Benoit (mentioned), Dave Batista/Randy Orton, Eddie Guerrero/Vickie Guerrero (mentioned), Nancy Benoit/Kevin Sullivan (mentioned), Shawn Michaels/Triple H
Series: Better Place [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025590
Comments: 18
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hyumagashi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyumagashi/gifts), [Khylara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khylara/gifts).



> Title is from the song Better Place by Citizen Soldier. Good lord, if there was ever a song that fit these two after Eddie's passing, it's that one. Period. End of discussion. Highly recommend listening to it if you want to get in my head space as I began writing this. I'll be honest, I didn't begin watching wrestling until like '98? So I'm pulling a lot of stuff of Wikipedia. For the sake of this story, while Chris and Nancy did marry, they never had a child. 
> 
> For orbitven, just because and also for Khylara, whose awesome stories reminded me just how much I loved these guys.

**November 2005**

It felt wrong, being here.

The house was subdued, oddly quiet compared to _before._ He could vaguely hear Vickie and Nancy speaking in the dining room, probably talking about him, and wondering when or if he was going to completely lose it. He wanted to reassure them he was alright, that he wasn’t two steps away from breaking down completely, but it would be a lie. Climbing the stairs, he hesitated for a second before heading towards the master bedroom. Pushing open the door, he stopped in the entrance and just looked for several long moments. Everything was the same from the last time he’d visited Eddie, but different. Hugging himself, he fought the sob that wanted desperately to escape.

If he broke down he knew Nancy and Vickie would be here in a heartbeat, crowding him and trying to console him. It wouldn’t work, no matter how hard they tried. The only thing that would work would be if he could redo that night, somehow keep Eddie from dying. Moving slowly, agonizingly further into the room, he found himself staring down at the side he knew his friend had preferred. _God, I miss you so much,_ he thought, biting his lip as he felt tears prick his eyes _._ Unable to stop himself, he reached out, snagging the pillow from the bed, and lifted it to his face, muffling the sound of his sobs as the familiar scent struck him like a physical blow.

Overwhelmed with emotion and memories, he sat down heavily on the bed, still clinging to the pillow like it was giving him life. _I would give anything to have you back again. I can’t take this, knowing you’re not here. Every little thing reminds me of you. It’s like I’m walking around with half of myself missing. I don’t know how to be without you. I **don’t** want to know how to go on without you. You should be here. _

****

**_You should be here._ **

_We should be getting ready to head to Europe, laughing and joking together. Vickie’s eyes shouldn’t be red and puffy from crying, the girls shouldn’t be too quiet. We should be sneaking away for some time alone together, trading lazy kisses in the desert sun. **God, I want you here. I want you back with me. This is like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.** Why’d you have to leave me?_

_I wish I could tell you one more time how much I love you. Tell you how much you mean to me. Say how I’d fucking marry you if I had a chance and to hell with what everyone would say. You are the other half of my very soul. How am I supposed to live without you?_

_… Do I even want to live without you?_

“Hey, _mango_ , you going to wake up sometime today?”

Jerking awake in shock, Chris sat up abruptly, nearly knocking the Latino off the bed. “Eddie?” he breathed, scrabbling to disentangle himself from the sheets. Sure enough, looking young and heartbreakingly alive, Eddie Guerrero smiled at him crookedly.

“Well, I certainly hope you weren’t expecting someone else,” he teased, gasping a little in surprise when his lover suddenly grabbed him in a tight bear hug. “Chris, _mi_ _amor_ , I need to breathe a little.”

God, that _voice._ He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed hearing Eddie talk until now. Finally relaxing his grip, he leaned back and looked into those warm brown eyes. “God, Eddie,” he breathed, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat and blinking back tears.

“You ok, Chris?” Eddie questioned, clearly concerned. Benoit was acting like he hadn’t seen him in forever, and the fact that his eyes were glassy with tears was even more disconcerting. The last time Eddie had seen him this upset was the night Chris had accidentally broken Sabu’s neck. “What’s wrong?”

Shaking his head, Chris just looked at the Latino. “Nothing, man, I’m just so happy to see you,” he replied, lifting a shaky hand to Eddie’s face, and gently cupping his cheek. “I’ve just missed you so much.”

Completely confused, Eddie mentally shrugged it off as the other man clearly still waking from some strange dream. They’d fallen asleep wrapped around each other, after all, so it had to be that. “You know, we don’t have to be at the arena for a while yet,” he mused aloud, lifting a hand to Chris’s bare chest, and tracing it downward in a rather blatant manner. “What do you say – “

Chris cut him off with an almost bruising kiss, pulling the other man over top him without a second thought. “Yes, God, yes,” he breathed, tugging Eddie’s shirt over his head the second the kiss broke. “ _J’ai tellement besoin de toi, j’ai besoin de savoir que c’est réel.”_

Shivering involuntarily at Chris’s use of French, Eddie kissed him again. “How do you want me, hm?” he questioned, his tone turning provocative. He grinned at the heated look he got in return, only for his eyes to widen in surprise when the other man didn’t move to be the one taking him. “Uh, Chris?”

Panting, Chris looked back at him, looking a little startled. “What?” he asked, desperately aroused and wanting nothing more to feel the other man inside him. He’d decided that this was some vivid dream and if it was only a dream, he wanted Eddie again. “We’ve done it this way before.”

Eddie stared at him for several seconds, head tilted like he was trying to figure out if Chris was serious. “Are you sure you’re ok, _holmes?”_ he asked in concern, getting an equally strange look in return.

“Yeah, why?”

“Cause man, we’ve never done it like this,” the Latino replied, gesturing vaguely to where he was positioned between Chris’s legs. “You’re always on top.”

_That didn’t sound right_. Sitting up slowly, he met Eddie’s eyes in confusion. “What do you mean, I’m always on top? After I broke my neck -”

“You haven’t, though,” Eddie broke in, shaking his head as he stared at his lover in surprise. “I mean, there was that thing with Sabu not too long ago, where he took a bad bump from you, but you haven’t hurt your neck.” Thinking about it for a second, he shrugged. “Little surprised you haven’t, doing that _pinche_ headbutt.”

_Sabu? But that was, Jesus, about ten years ago!_ Chris thought to himself, arousal dimming in the wake of confusion. _What the fuck?_ “Wait… what?”

Frowning, Eddie reached out and brushed Chris’s hair back, surreptitiously checking to see if maybe his lover was running a fever. The skin beneath his hand was cool to the touch, with no other obvious signs of illness. “You don’t have a concussion, do you?” Off his lover’s look, he bit back the annoyed curse that wanted to leave him. “Man, you’ve got to tell me these things!”

“I don’t think so,” Chris replied slowly, wracking his brain to try and figure out what the hell was going on. “I mean, I remember the thing with Sabu. He was supposed to take a pancake, but turned and landed wrong, right?”

Eddie nodded, clearly encouraged by that. “ _Si_ , that’s right.”

“So… that means we’re with WCW,” he said, more to himself than Eddie, shock running through him like a lightning bolt. _I’m in 1996? How the hell…?_ Raising a hand to his neck, he felt for the scar that should’ve been there… but wasn’t. _What the fuck is going on?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a Benerrero fix-it fic so I'm writing one.
> 
> Chris's behavior in the first half is based on what Vickie Guerrero said in the interview segments for Dark Side of the Ring Benoit Pt 1. She stated Nancy had come to stay with her after the funeral and when Chris was there, she would often find him in her and Eddie's bed, clinging to his pillow and sobbing. She also stated she'd found him in Eddie's home gym, and he'd told her he didn't know how to go on without Eddie. Also, yes, I totally quoted the Micheal Bolton song by accident. Sorry not sorry. I love that song.
> 
> Chapter two is in progress, but it might be a few days as I'm pushing to make it longer than the prologue and have it be at least 5k words. 
> 
> J’ai tellement besoin de toi, j’ai besoin de savoir que c’est réel. - I've missed you so much, I need to know this is real
> 
> Pinche - fucking


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie worries that maybe Chris has a concussion, sex happens, and we find out an exact date of where we are.

_Alright, don’t freak out, don’t freak out. It’s fine, it’s cool, you’re only almost ten years in the past. Now think, Chris, what’s the last thing you remember?_ Chris thought to himself as he stood in the shower under the warm spray of water. The last thing he could clearly remember was being at Eddie’s house in Phoenix, seconds away from having a mental breakdown over Eddie’s passing and now he was here? Where the hell was here anyways? He’d sneakily managed to catch a glimpse of the phone book in their hotel room and had been right about the year at least. 1996. Jesus, he hadn’t even gotten involved with Nancy yet, and was still technically married to Martina, though they’d been separated at this point. _Fucking hell, this is all so damn screwed up._

_Am I in some weird coma like state?_ Dismissing the thought as soon as it came, he wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at himself. He certainly looked how he had in his WCW days; the huge dark circles he’d gotten used to since Eddie’s death gone. The various aches and pains he’d gotten used to were practically non-existent, and his neck felt… normal. Shaking himself from his reverie, he wrapped a too small towel around himself and opened the door…

Only to fight back a startled yelp when he was met with Eddie’s concerned face. “I’m not concussed,” he vowed patiently for what felt like the tenth time. Ever since their usual routine of a morning fuck had been interrupted by what the Latino felt was out of character for Chris, the other man had been insistent that he was likely concussed.

“I still think we should do the drill, _querido_ ,” his stubborn lover replied, crossing his arms across his chest as he silently refused to budge and let him out of the bathroom.

That damn nickname Eddie only used with him was what finally made him give in. Looking him in the eyes, Chris caved. “My name is Christopher Michael Benoit, my birthday is May 21, 1967.” Taking a breath, he continued on just as the other man was about to ask another question. “Your name is Eduardo Gory Guerrero, your birthday is October 9, 1967. Anything else?”

Brown eyes narrowing a little, Eddie finally stepped back to allow Chris to get dressed. “I’m just worried about you, is all,” he remarked softly.

Shoulders slumping guiltily, Chris let out a heavy sigh. “I know, I’m sorry,” he replied, equally soft as he began rifling through what he recognized to be his old travel bag. The last time he’d seen it, Nancy had been tossing it out due to how worn it had gotten. The absurd thought made him want to both laugh and cry. Here he was, back before the whole thing with Sullivan and the booking committee, with Eddie still alive, and all he could focus on was how freaking weird this whole situation was. Part of him was thrilled beyond all reason to have Eddie back, but the much bigger part of him was just… confused. It wasn’t like he could explain the situation to Eddie. _Oh, hey, so in less than ten years, you’re going to die but somehow, I came back to make sure that didn’t happen._ Yeah, that wouldn’t go over well **at all.** “I’m ok, Eddie.”

Coming up behind him, Eddie wrapped his arms around Chris’s waist, resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder with a sigh. “Ok, _querido,_ if you say so,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to his lover’s cheek. The motion elicited a crooked smile and an adorable pinkening of the cheeks, which in turn made Eddie smile. _There’s my Chris,_ he thought fondly, tightening his embrace slightly. He still wasn’t quite sure what was going on in the vault known as Chris’s brain but was willing to let it go for the time being. “ _Te amo,_ baby.”

Feeling himself blush a darker shade of pink, Chris relaxed a little in Eddie’s arms. “ _Je t’aime aussi,”_ he returned, silently reveling in the small shiver it evoked from the Latino. _You always did love it when I spoke French,_ he thought silently, blinking hard to stop any errant tears from trying to escape. Clearing his throat with a small cough, he turned his head to look at Eddie. “You going to let me get dressed?”

“You know I prefer you like this,” Eddie teased, laughing as Chris went from dark pink to a flaming red. It didn’t matter that they were alone, with no possibility of anyone seeing them, Chris went all blushing virgin the second he made any kind of sexual innuendo. With a last squeeze, he released Benoit but not before smacking his bare ass and earning an annoyed glare, which he answered with a laugh. “Get dressed, we’re supposed to meet Dean for lunch.”

The brief flare of annoyance Chris felt at the pop to his bare ass quickly dissolved at Eddie’s bark of laughter. _God, you don’t know how much I’ve missed hearing you laugh,_ he couldn’t help but think, eyes misting up again. _I’ve got to get it together, or he’ll really think something is wrong._ He could feel Eddie’s eyes on him as he dressed, reminding him of the many times they’d made each other late for whatever because they couldn’t keep away from each other. Looking down at his shirt in his hands, he turned and met Eddie’s eyes. “How mad do you think he’ll be if we’re late?”

Shocked that _Chris_ was the one making the suggestion, it didn’t take Eddie long to get with the program. “I don’t think he’ll even be surprised,” he remarked with a laugh, pulling his shirt over his head as Chris tossed aside his. In two large strides, they met at the foot of the bed, Chris’s hands coming up to cup his face as he leaned in and kissed the _hell_ out of him.

Swallowing the low whine Eddie emitted with a groan of his own, Chris turned them just enough to be able to push the other man down onto the bed. Batting his lover’s hands away as they went to undo his jeans, he unbuttoned them himself, tugging both jeans and boxers roughly down Eddie’s legs and tossing them negligently behind him. A little surprised at his own ferocity, Chris didn’t allow himself to dwell on it. Even Eddie looked a little taken aback by it but was clearly enjoying himself.

_Well, this is new,_ Eddie thought to himself as Chris stripped him back down to his skin. He’d never seen his usually reserved lover so… _demanding_ was the only word he could come up with. Lightly callused hands ran over his body with all the confidence of someone who knew what he liked and wasn’t afraid to use it. They sought out places he’d never even considered to be erogenous zones but clearly were, judging by the loud moan that surprised even him with how loud it was. “Chris, _mi amor mas querido,”_ he whined, as the hands were replaced by open mouthed kisses. Good God above, whatever had gotten into Chris needed to stick around because damn.

“My Eddie, _mon amour chéri_ ,” Chris breathed, working his way down Eddie’s chest, blowing a heated breath over first one, then the other nipple and earning a loud moan. “ _Tu m’as tellement manqué, mon amour. Je ne te laisserai plus jamais partir, jamais.”_ Another moan followed by a gasp as he licked a broad stripe up Eddie’s erection, swirling his tongue over the head.

Barely able to breathe, Eddie looked down the length of his body, eyes widening when they met the burning blue of his lover’s. “ _Jesucristo_ Chris,” he managed to choke out, hips bucking slightly as his lover swallowed him down. Throwing his head back onto the pillows, he bit his tongue almost in half as he was taken into Chris’s throat. “Fucking hell, _querido_ , you been holding out on me?” The muffled laugh around his erection became a major test of his control as he fought to keep from coming.

Pulling off with a disappointed moan from Eddie, Chris crawled up his body, watching those dark eyes get impossibly wider. “ _Je t'aime tellement_ ,” he whispered, bracing himself on one hand in order to caress Eddie’s cheek with the other before leaning in and kissing him softly.

Melting inside, Eddie smiled up at him, nuzzling into the hand caressing his face. “ _Yo también te quiero_ ,” he assured, watching those beautiful blue eyes soften in affection. Giving him another kiss, he groped briefly under one of the pillows for the almost empty tube of lubricant. “I’ll get more later.” Snickering at the blush that stained Chris’s cheeks, he shook his head fondly. It never ceased to amuse him that Chris could blush over something like that when not two minutes before he’d been going down on Eddie.

Sitting back, Chris ducked his head as he poured the lube over his fingers, unable to believe he was blushing _again._ He was a grown man, damnit, not a teenager on the verge of losing his virginity. Eddie was watching him, eyes fond and amused and he couldn’t help the smile that came to his face. If it wasn’t for the distinct lack of scars that would later decorate the Latino’s body and the mullet (and God, as ridiculous as it looked, he’d missed it after Eddie had cut it) Chris could almost swear they were back in the early months of 2005.

_Should I really be doing this?_ He thought to himself, warming the sticky lubrication on his fingers by rote. Fast on the heels of that thought, came another, more adamant one: _I don’t care._ It was a chance to be with the man he loved more than anything again. He could try to figure out how and why he was somehow back in 1996 later. In the meantime, with his lover looking up at him, eyes shining with love and arousal, he was going to take advantage while he could. Sliding two fingers into his lover with a practiced ease, he leaned in and swallowed Eddie’s moan with a tongue tangling kiss. He’d only been without the other man for less than two weeks, but it had felt like an eternity since they’d done this.

Whatever had been bothering Chris earlier had clearly passed for the time being, a fact for which Eddie was grateful as he thrust back onto his lover’s fingers in an effort to get them deeper, harder. Throwing an arm around Benoit’s shoulders, he allowed a breathless whine to escape as a third entered him. He could feel Chris watching him intently, and he forced his eyes open to meet them. God, that look in those hot blue eyes was almost enough to make him come undone then and there. They were watching him as though trying to memorize every detail of this moment but there was something else there too. Some little flash of… he couldn’t tell if it was sadness or terror, or both. It was almost as if he were expecting Eddie to disappear or something. “ _Estoy aquí, lo prometo. No te voy a dejar.”_ he assured, whining loudly when those probing fingers left him.

_But you did,_ Chris wanted to say. _You did go away._ Now was not the time for **that** conversation though. Not when he had a chance to do everything over, do everything right. Including this. Slicking himself with a small hiss, he moved in between Eddie’s thighs and slowly, carefully, slid inside. Biting his cheek to keep from coming and ending this before it really started, he bottomed out with a low moan, eyes falling closed. “ _Mon Dieu, tu te sens si bien_ ,” he mumbled breathlessly, forcing his eyes back open and looking down at his lover.

“That’s right baby,” Eddie replied, bringing his hands up and cupping Chris’s face in them. While he had no objections to the possibility of taking him, the look on his lover’s face made this worth it. The Canadian was looking down at him like he was something precious, something to be protected, treasured and it always made him melt. No one had ever looked at him like the way Chris was looking at him now and he knew he’d never want to see that same look on anyone else’s face. Leaning up to kiss him, he was met halfway, their mouths moving together with an easy familiarity. “Give me what we both want, _querido_ , come on.”

Nodding almost robotically, he pulled back a little, thrusting back inside seconds later. The choked moan from the man beneath him made smile a little, memories of other times they’d done this battling with the current reality. Mentally blocking out everything but the man beneath him, Chris proceeded to drive Eddie out of his mind with pleasure. “ _La prochaine fois, je te veux en moi_ ,” he panted, beginning to find a rhythm that was steadily driving them towards a shared climax. “ _Je veux te sentir si profondément en moi que je n’oublierai jamais._ ”

Eddie had no idea what Chris was saying to him but God. That beloved voice, rough with arousal and purring those things to him in French were driving him out of his mind. Throwing a leg over Chris’s hip, he met each thrust, almost sobbing in pleasure. “Chris… baby… _tócame, por favor_ ,” he ground out, realizing a second later he might need to translate. Opening his mouth to do just that, he ended up gasping in surprise a second later as his lover’s hand encircled his erection and began stroking him in time with the rough thrusts.

“This what you wanted?” Chris breathed, smirking when Eddie nodded rapidly, a loud moan escaping him. Swiping his thumb over the head and catching a bead of precum, he met dazed brown eyes and deliberately released him long enough to lick it off. “ _Vous avez bon goût_.”

That did it. Pulling his lover down into a rough kiss, his tongue chasing after the taste, Eddie came apart underneath him. “ _Jesucristo y todos los santos_ ,” he gasped, falling back after the kiss broke as Chris found his own completion. Breathing heavily, he met the almost embarrassed gaze of his lover with a weak laugh. “Where did that come from?!”

Flushing, Chris managed a shrug, pulling out with a low groan and allowing himself to collapse beside Eddie. “I don’t know?” he replied weakly, turning his head and blushing at the almost incredulous look on his lover’s face.

Shifting to his side, Eddie drew him into a lazy kiss. “Whatever it was, it can stick around,” he remarked when they broke apart, resting his forehead against Chris’s and laughing as the other man blushed darker. “I love you, _papi,_ but only you could be self-conscious after _that._ Jesus.”

After cleaning up and managing to actually get dressed this time, Chris tossed the keys to a startled Eddie. “You should drive,” he explained when his lover looked at him curiously. “Just on the off chance, yeah?”

“ _Seguro_ , ok,” Eddie agreed, eyes widening in surprise when Chris randomly kissed him on their way out the door.

“Wanted to,” Chris mumbled, ducking his head a little, only to look back up when Eddie’s fingers lifted his chin back up.

“You know I don’t mind you kissing me,” he remarked in a low tone, aware that they were now in the hotel hallway where anyone could see them. The rare, crooked smile he got took his breath away for a moment. The first time Eddie had seen that smile had been when they’d realized their feelings for each other ran much deeper than friends or brothers. Touching their foreheads together briefly, he slung an arm around Chris’s shoulders and steered him down the hall.

Dean was already at the diner they’d apparently agreed to meet at, and very much not surprised that Eddie and Chris were late. Helping himself to a second cup of coffee, he glanced up when his friends finally entered and promptly froze. They had their arms around each other, and Chris kept shooting these small, almost adoring gazes at Eddie. _What the fu-?_ He shot a look at Eddie, who gave him an equally confused one in return as they approached. Chris usually _hated_ any kind of public display, often pulling away when someone went to hug him. To see him practically attached to Eddie like that was… unusual to say the least. “Hey.”

“ _Hola amigo,_ ” Eddie greeted in return, sliding into the booth across from Dean, followed by Chris, who shocked him even further by draping an arm over the back of the seat. Meeting their friend’s startled expression, he raised his eyebrows in an ‘no idea’ gesture. “Sorry we’re late, got a little… uh, distracted.”

The blush that promptly bloomed on Chris’s face was normal at least. “It’s fine,” he dismissed easily, catching the waitress’s eye and beckoning her over. She nodded, holding up a finger to indicate she’d be just a second.

Managing to take a glance at the date on one of the small TV’s set up in the restaurant, Chris fought the urge to grimace: September 16, 1996. Ugh. Not only was he back in the past, back in WCW but he had to deal with Nash and Hall and their annoying ass N.W.O. Just fucking great. “Hey, I’ll be right back,” Chris muttered, squeezing Eddie’s shoulder as he rose. “Order something for me?” When Eddie nodded, he flashed a small smile before disappearing towards the bathrooms.

The second Chris was out of ear shot, Dean turned to Eddie incredulously. “Is he okay?”

“I guess?” Eddie responded, shrugging helplessly when his friend stared at him. “He woke up this morning like he had no idea what was going on. I thought maybe he had a concussion, you know?” He waited for Dean to nod before continuing. “But he knew his full name, his birthday, mine too. And, _Dios_ knows, we had the best – “

Cutting his friend off, Dean raised a hand to halt whatever Eddie was about to say. “I don’t need to know,” he replied faintly, shaking his head at the shameless grin the Latino shot at him. “I already know more about the two of you than I care to know.” He was quiet for a second, contemplating. “He’s just acting… odd.”

“I agree, _ese_ , but you know what’ll happen if we call him on it,” the Latino pointed out matter-of-factly, making Dean nod begrudgingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Te amo - I love you
> 
> Je t'aime aussi - I love you too
> 
> Mi amor mas querido - my dearest love
> 
> Mon amour cheri - (same as above, only french)
> 
> Tu m’as tellement manqué, mon amour. Je ne te laisserai plus jamais partir, jamais - I missed you so much, my love. I'll never let you go again, never.
> 
> Jeuschristo - Jesus Christ
> 
> Querido - Darling
> 
> Je t'aime tellement - I love you so much
> 
> Yo tambien te queiro - I love you too
> 
> Estoy aquí, lo prometo. No te voy a dejar - I'm here, I promise. I'm not leaving you
> 
> Mon Dieu, tu te sens si bien - My God, you feel so good
> 
> La prochaine fois, je te veux en moi - Next time, I want you in me
> 
> Je veux te sentir si profondément en moi que je n’oublierai jamais - I want to feel you so deeply inside me I'll never forget
> 
> Tocame por favor - Touch me, please
> 
> Vous avez bon goût - You have good taste (I meant it to say something like, you taste good but clearly french is odd)
> 
> Jesucristo y todos los santos - Jesus Christ and All Saints
> 
> Seguro - Sure
> 
> Hola amigo - Hey buddy
> 
> So, my plan to make this and each subsequent chapter around 5k words didn't work out too well, but this one at least clocks on at just over 3k so I don't think I did too badly. I'm going to have to watch some old Nitro's to plot it out from here, but so far we're in September of '96, so Jericho will be making his debut in the story in the next chapter, I think. In the meantime, let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Chavo discuss Chris's odd behavior, Chris has a nightmare and ends up telling Eddie the truth, and there's some more sex.

“ _Tio?_ You alright?”

Eddie pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning against outside of the trainer’s room and enveloped his nephew in a hug. “I’m fine, Chavato,” he reassured with a pat on the shoulder. “Chris is getting checked out, though.”

Confused, Chavo glanced at the closed door and back to his uncle. “Why, what’s wrong? His match hasn’t even happened yet."

Switching to Spanish to avoid anyone over hearing them, Eddie sighed. “ _He woke up acting like he hadn’t seen me in forever,”_ he began explaining, shrugging helplessly when his nephew looked at him oddly. “ _I know. And all day today he’s been… off. Not in a bad way, you know? Just not himself.”_

Frowning a little, Chavo tilted his head. “ _What do you mean? How’s he been acting?”_ Off his uncle’s look, he made a face. “ _If it involves your sex life I don’t want to know.”_

Laughing, Eddie shook his head. _“I mean, that too, but it’s more than that. He’s still himself for the most part but man, you’ll see.”_

Before Chavo could push for a better answer, the door opened, and Chris walked out, automatically looking at Eddie. “Trainer checked me out, no signs of a concussion,” he said without preamble, his tone fond but exasperated.

“Hey Chris,” Chavo greeted, eyes going wide in surprise when Benoit turned to him, eyes lighting up briefly before he was grabbed in a hug. Looking at his uncle in surprise, who just looked back at him with an ‘I told you so’ expression, he hugged the Canadian back.

“Good to see you, man,” Chris told him as he pulled back, clapping Chavo on the shoulder briefly. “Listen I’ve got to go get ready, but we’ll catch up later, yeah?” At Chavo’s dumbfounded nod, he turned to Eddie, leaning in and giving him a brief peck on the lips. “See you after?”

“Of course,” Eddie agreed, more than a little stunned at the small display of affection. Chris gave him a small, bashful smile which he returned before the other man took off towards the locker room. Watching until Chris was out of earshot, he turned back to his nephew who was staring at him in wide-eyed shock. “ _That’s what I was talking about. When have you ever known him to be like that?”_

_“Should we try asking him what’s going on?”_ Chavo questioned uncertainly, falling into step with his uncle as they began walking to the locker room themselves. Off his uncle’s look, he held up his hands placatingly. _“Yeah, I don’t really think it would work either.”_

_“He’ll talk when he’s ready,”_ Eddie replied, though he sounded more than a little doubtful. He certainly hoped Chris would confide in him because while this more open version of his lover was nice, it was also more than a little concerning. Chris had always been reticent in public, loosening up a little with him as the years passed but this was a complete 180 from how he normally acted.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chris frowned a little when he noticed Eddie waiting for him. “You’re not going out with Chavo?” he asked softly. His lover wouldn’t get sober for several years yet, so he’d fully planned on making excuses on why he wouldn’t be joining them and trying to figure out how he’d gotten here. “I was going to stay in, the trainer did say if I was feeling off to take it easy. You don’t have to stay with me if you and Chavo want to go out.”

“You? Take it easy?” Eddie repeated with skeptical expression, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Chris sling his bag over his shoulder. “Since when?”

Damn. Eddie had him there. “I know you’ve been worried about me, so I just thought maybe I’d take their advice for once.” The look in the Latino’s eyes softened slightly, and Chris managed a genuine smile. “So, go if you want, it’s fine.”

Chewing on his lower lip in thought, Eddie shook his head after a moment’s contemplation. “Nah, it’s fine, we’ll go out another time,” he finally stated, waving off any further insistences from Benoit. “You and I can stop somewhere, pick up some food and some _cervezas,_ spend the night in. Sound good?”

Unable to help himself, Chris nodded and reached out for Eddie’s hand, twining their fingers together. “Sounds great,” he admitted, feeling his face heat at the look his lover gave him but he refused to pull away. He’d pulled away from Eddie far too much in the past (or was it the present? He was still confused on that one) and was determined this time would be different.

After a quick dinner at a local 24-hour diner, they’d stopped and grabbed some beers from a gas station close to their hotel. Letting themselves back in their room, Eddie stretched with a small yawn. “You ready for a long drive tomorrow?” he questioned as set the beers down on the small desk and proceeded to kick his shoes off.

“Depends, you going to almost make us wreck again?” Chris fired back, turning red as he recalled one memorable occasion where Eddie had decided it was a good idea to go down on him while driving. Dean had been passed out in the back seat and had not been thrilled with them when he’d been abruptly awoken by Chris nearly driving off the road.

Laughing loudly in delight, Eddie pulled him in for a quick kiss. “You know you loved it,” he teased, delighting in his lover going from fire engine red to near purple in mortification. “And no, Chavo’s riding with us. Don’t want him to see what I’d rather keep for myself.” He gave Chris another kiss before turning and grabbing one of the beers and meandering over to the bed.

_Well, at least I remembered when that happened right,_ Chris thought to himself with a mental headshake. God, he’d thought he’d never be able to look Dean in the eye again after that incident. Eddie had, of course, laughed the whole thing off in his usual manner as their friend had read them the riot act and promptly took over driving. Stripping down to his jeans, he flushed _again_ as he caught the appreciative gaze Eddie directed at him as he moved over to settle beside him.

The Latino had turned the TV on and was idly flipping through channels when Chris came and got into their shared bed. “Anything you want to watch?” he questioned absently as he raised his beer to his lips, only to nearly choke as Benoit lifted his left arm and settled against Eddie with a small contented sigh. Swallowing a little awkwardly, he nevertheless put his arm around his lover and finally settled on some random sports channel as he looked down at Chris’s head on his chest in surprise.

“Since when do you watch hockey?” Benoit asked sleepily, the day catching up to him. Figuring out how he’d come back here could wait, he decided, content to just lay here and listen to the steady beat of Eddie’s heart. He knew it was probably out of character for how he’d been (was?) but he was taking advantage of whatever this was while he could. If he could fall asleep and wake up in 1996, who was to say he wouldn’t wake up tomorrow back in 2005… without Eddie?

Looking at the TV, where a game was indeed being replayed, he half shrugged. “I don’t, but you do,” he pointed out, getting an agreeing hum in response. _What the hell is going on with you,_ Eddie couldn’t help but wonder, looking down at the man currently plastered to him. First, that morning, which he was definitely NOT complaining about, the kiss backstage before Chris’s match, holding hands as they left and now this? Eddie had resigned himself to Chris being… well, Chris, back when they’d first become lovers during their ECW days. He was always so tightly controlled, reluctant to show any kind of affection in public, even if it were something no one would question as being more than friendly.

It was just one of those things in life that you didn’t really question. The sky is blue, grass is green, Chris was introverted to almost the extreme. Anyone who knew him for more than five minutes would agree. Running his fingers through Chris’s hair, he smiled a little at the almost purr his motion evoked. Well, whatever it was, Eddie actually kind of liked it. It worried him a little, mainly because his _querido_ guarded his feelings like a top-secret military base, but it was actually… nice. He hadn’t asked Chris to change, would never have asked that of him. He loved the man for who he was, not what Eddie wanted him to be.

His fingers stilled in their petting motion briefly as he frowned at the thought. _Was that it?_ He wondered, opening his mouth to ask when he realized that Chris had fallen asleep. Softening, Eddie continued the motion, allowing the low drone of the tv to wash over him without really paying attention. “I don’t want you to change because you think that’s what I want,” he whispered lowly, leaning down to brush a kiss in his lover’s hair. With some minor difficulty, he managed to move Chris enough so he could lay down, pulling the sleeping man close the second he could. “ _Te amo como eres, mi corazón_.”

Chris hadn’t meant to fall asleep.

It had just felt so _nice_ being back with Eddie, laying his head on the other man’s chest and hearing his heartbeat. Part of him had been dreading that evening, wondering what would happen when he woke up the next day. Would it be 2005 again? Would he once again be in a world without Eddie, expected to go on like losing his best friend, his **soul mate** , wasn’t slowly destroying him? He could still remember entering that hotel room in Minneapolis, dropping to his knees beside the Latino’s body and wanting nothing more to clutch at him, shake him, beg him to wake up, wake up, **wake up** …

“… Chris, baby, wake up.”

Jolting awake, he was met Eddie’s concerned expression and nearly wept in relief. He was still in the past, still with him. Breathing hard, he sat up slowly, fighting down the bile that was rising in his throat. “ _Baiser,”_ he managed after several seconds, inhaling through his nose, and exhaling heavily. His lover’s hand on his shoulder helped, his heartrate beginning to slow down, the tension bleeding out of him bit by bit. “What time is it?”

Glancing at the clock, Eddie made a face. “Still early,” he answered, turning back to Chris with a sympathetic gaze. His lover was still breathing a little heavily, clearly still upset from whatever he’d been dreaming about. “You want to talk about it?”

Chris had to fight not to give into hysterical laughter. _Oh, I was just dreaming about the day you died._ Shaking his head rapidly, he allowed himself to be pulled into Eddie’s arms, fighting the tears that wanted to escape as the other man whispered soft, calming things in a mixture of Spanish and English. “Just a really bad dream,” he allowed himself to say finally, his lover’s embrace tightening around him when he shuddered in horror. “ _Je suis désolé de t’avoir réveillé_.”

“Hey, hey, you don’t need to apologize to me, _querido_ ,” Eddie hastened to reassure, dropping a kiss onto Chris’s temple. “At least, that’s what I think you said.” That got a weak laugh and a small nod from his lover, making him smile a little. “Look at that, I know something I can say besides hello.”

Finally, feeling more in control of himself again, Chris shook his head fondly as he extricated himself from Eddie’s embrace reluctantly. “I’m sure you’ve probably picked up more than you know,” he remarked with a small half smile, reaching up and brushing his thumb over his lover’s moustache. “ _Tu as toujours aimé m’entendre le parler_.”

“Probably but I don’t think I can say them outside of our bed,” he remarked, shivering slightly at both the look in those blue eyes and the use of his lover’s childhood language. The blush that stained Chris’s cheeks made Eddie laugh lightly as he leaned forward and kissed him. “ _Te amo,_ my Chris.”

“ _Je t'aime aussi_ , my Eddie,” Chris returned, ducking his head at the adoring look he received. After several seconds, he lifted his eyes slowly up his lover’s bare chest, finally meeting those knowing eyes bashfully. He’d never admitted it, but those eyes were what had drawn him in from the very beginning. Seeing those beautiful brown eyes look at him with such love and affection, God, he’d never seen in anyone else’s eyes what he saw in Eddie’s. Understanding, unconditional acceptance. Finally, after what felt like hours but was in reality only a few minutes, he heaved a deep sigh. “You might think I’m crazy.”

Eddie snorted, making a dismissive gesture. “Please, _querido,_ everyone knows it’s me who’s _un poco loco._ ” That at least got a small laugh from Chris. “So, tell me, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“If you’re only a little crazy I’d hate to see what you consider to be a lot crazy,” Chris retorted, getting a mock offended look in return followed by a smile when he laughed again. He lapsed into silence again, but not before reaching out and grabbing one of Eddie’s hands in his. “I’m serious, though, you’re going to think I’ve completely lost my mind.”

“Try me.”

Raising his eyes from where he’d been studying their joined hands in the darkness, he met Eddie’s again and noted his lover was looking at him quite seriously. “I dreamed about you… dying,” he finally admitted, tightening his grip on the hand in his slightly. A flash of shock followed quickly by concern flickered through Eddie’s eyes in the dim light of the bedside lamp. Swallowing hard, he continued before the Latino could speak. “What’s worse is… I know when it’ll happen.”

“Chris _, mi amo_ , it was a dream. A creepy one, _si_ , but just a dream,” Eddie told him, reaching up with his free hand and brushing the back of his knuckles over Chris’s cheek. “Only _Dios_ knows - “

“November 13, 2005.” Chris’s voice was shaky but sure. When Eddie blinked at him in surprise, he nodded slowly. Tears welled up in his eyes and he did little to stop them as they began flowing down his cheeks. “Marriott Hotel City Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. I know because I was there. You and Chavo were supposed to meet me in the gym and uh, I called him when you two were late. That’s when he told me you were gone, that you’d died literally in his arms.”

“That’s what I was dreaming about. Going in that room, seeing you dead.” He let out a choked sob, looking away from the man before him. “Fucking Christ, I remember the damn funeral. Watching them put you in the ground, praying it was all some fucked dream I was having instead of the living nightmare it was.” 

Eddie pulled his sobbing lover into his arms, deeply shaken. _There’s no way he knows these things,_ the rational part of his mind kept repeating. But Chris never lied, not to him. They told each other things not even their respective spouses knew, things that his _madre_ would skin him alive for if she knew. Could these things actually be true? Benoit sounded so certain, and by the way he was currently breaking down, he obviously believed it to be so. “I believe you.”

Sniffling, tears still running down his face, Chris lifted his head from Eddie’s chest and looked at him. “What?” he managed, taking a shuddering breath.

Feeling helpless, Eddie shrugged. “We’ve never lied to each other before,” he reminded him, brushing the tears from Chris’s cheeks. “So, if you said you were there, I believe you. I don’t know how you know that, or why, but I believe you.”

“You do?”

Chris sounded surprised, like he hadn’t honestly expected Eddie’s answer. “You’ve never lied to me before, so of course I do. I doubt it would upset you like this if you didn’t at least **believe** it.” He made a startled sound in his throat as the Canadian abruptly leaned in and kissed him.

“I love you,” Chris breathed when the kiss broke, resting his forehead against his lovers with a relieved sigh. _Eddie believed him._ Cracking a smile, he gave a weak laugh which made the Latino look at him curiously. “Wanna know something?”

“Sure?”

“We have a WrestleMania moment together.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Yeah. In the Garden, no less.” Chris sniffed, his tears slowly stopping finally. “You’ll defend your title successfully, and I’ll win mine during the main event. You’ll come out after I win, and we actually hug in the middle of the ring.” A small laugh. “You even kiss me on the cheek, though I don’t think anyone but me caught it.”

“You’re joking.” When Chris shook his head, Eddie laughed a little incredulously. “Madison Square Garden.” A small nod from his lover. “Really?”

“Really, really.” Benoit gave a small, tired sigh before he smiled a little, a blush rising to his cheeks. “Had us one hell of a celebration that night, just me and you.” Off Eddie’s inquiring look, he squirmed a little in embarrassment. “We uh, we had sex with the belts on.”

Eddie laughed loudly, leaning in and kissing Chris again. “Oh, really?” he asked, lowering his tone suggestively and privately delighting in the blush staining his lover’s cheeks as he nodded. “Too bad we aren’t champs right now, because that sounds worth practicing.”

“You’re incorrigible,” the Canadian replied with a headshake, smiling crookedly when Eddie shrugged with a look that clearly said, ‘you know you love me.’ “ _Mon amour, je t’aime_.”

“Love you too, baby,” Eddie returned, fighting back a yawn. “Think you can go back to sleep now?”

He considered it for a moment. “Probably,” he agreed, eyeing the Latino thoughtfully for a second before leaning in and kissing him again. “But first, I want you.”

“You have me, _querido_ , you know that,” Eddie returned in confusion, sitting back when the other man shook his head in frustration. “What is it?”

“I want **_you_** ,” Chris stressed, tugging Eddie with him as he laid back on the bed, pulling the Latino over him and bucking his hips pointedly. “Unless you’re too tired?”

“I think I can muster the energy.” He went to straddle Chris, but the other man stopped him with a small headshake. “What?”

“I want you inside me,” he blurted, turning red in embarrassment. Eddie had always teased him about how he could say utterly filthy things in French during their lovemaking but would get embarrassed about asking for what he wanted in English. Off the inquiring look he received, he nodded, unable to say it again. “Please?”

A little skeptical, Eddie nodded reluctantly. “Ok, _querido_ , if that’s what you want,” he agreed, already guessing how this would end. The one and only time they’d tried this before, Chris had clammed up and been unable to continue, apologizing profusely. Taking the lube from his lover’s hand, he met the Canadian’s blue eyes as he opened it, drizzling some over his fingers and beginning to rub them together to warm it up. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

Chris nodded rapidly, a low moan escaping as a finger breached him slowly. “ _J’ai besoin de toi en moi, s’il vous plaît mon amour_ ,” he panted, lifting his hips with another moan as a second was added shortly after. “God, Eddie, _more.”_

Inserting a third finger, Eddie felt his eyes widen in surprise as his lover thrust back at him impatiently, babbling a mixture of French and English that he could hardly keep up with. Unable to wait much longer, he pulled his fingers away, watching Chris’s eyes fly open and look at him desperately. Using the remaining slick on his hand to prepare himself, he bit his lip briefly. “You’re sure?” he questioned hesitantly, lining up the head of his cock with his lover’s slick and relaxed hole.

Nearly mindless with need, Chris nodded frantically. “Need you, please,” he breathed, forcing himself to relax as the Latino pushed inside. Reminding himself to breathe, he tilted his hips up, moaning loudly when his lover slid further inside. “ _Juste comme ça, mon amour, ne t’arrête pas.”_

Sliding in tortuously slow, Eddie willed himself to make this good for Chris and not to come the second he was fully inside. When blue eyes fluttered open and looked at him, he felt his breath catch at the absolute trust in them. “Chris, baby…,” he breathed in wonder, his hands clenching rhythmically on his lover’s hips as he waited for the Canadian to adjust.

“ _Tu te sens si bien_ ,” Chris panted, watching the shudder that wracked Eddie’s frame. He’d forgotten just how much he’d missed this, whining a little when his lover briefly retreated before thrusting back inside. “God, yes, that’s it.”

Barely able to believe this was actually happening, Eddie pulled back and thrust back in a little harder, earning a loud moan from Chris. “Do we do this often?” he blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity even as he found a pace that worked for both of them.

Hooking a leg over Eddie’s hip, Chris nodded rapidly, unable to hold back the noises he was beginning to make as he was taken. “We- oh god, right there, just like that – we did,” he agreed, lifting his hips to meet the hard thrusts inside him. The unspoken, ‘before you died,’ loomed in the air like a specter. “F-first time was after – FUCK! YES! – b-bash at the beach ‘97.”

_Huh_. Eddie had to admit, it was still a little difficult to wrap his brain around the whole concept of Chris knowing stuff that hadn’t happened yet but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. The way his lover was writhing and moaning under him, growing less coherent as he neared orgasm was the only thing that mattered right now. _“¿Vas a eyacular por mí?_ ” he questioned, earning a spectacularly loud moan. Sparing a mental apology for whoever was rooming next to him, he didn’t even have a chance to touch his lover before Chris was coming apart under him which triggered his own orgasm.

Breathing heavily as Eddie reached his completion within him, Chris opened his eyes to half-mast as the Latino all but collapsed on top of him. “You alright?” he questioned, reaching up and brushing his lovers sweaty hair back.

Eddie was quiet for a second. “We don’t have to wait until next year to do that again, do we?” he asked hopefully, making Chris laugh.

“Definitely not.” He pressed a kiss to Eddie’s forehead with a small sigh of contentment. After a brief silence, Chris spoke again. “You really believe me, though? About everything?”

The Latino agreed with a sleepy nod. “ _Sí_.” A jaw cracking yawn. “So how we gonna stop it? Me dying?”

“I don’t know,” Chris admitted with a sigh, turning his head to meet Eddie’s eyes. “But we’ll figure it out together, right?”

“Right,” Eddie agreed, leaning in, and kissing him softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm gonna tone down the sex after this one, I don't want it to overtake the overall plot of the story. I don't know if it's completely accurate for Eddie to believe Chris right off hand, but I feel like they've been friends and lovers for so long, Eddie would give him the benefit of the doubt at the very least.
> 
> Tio - Uncle
> 
> Te amo como eres, mi corazón - I love you as you are, my heart
> 
> Baiser - Fuck
> 
> Je suis désolé de t’avoir réveillé - I'm sorry I woke you up
> 
> Tu as toujours aimé m’entendre le parler - You've always loved hearing me speak it
> 
> Te amo - I love you
> 
> Je t'aime aussi - I love you too
> 
> Un poco loco - a little crazy
> 
> Dios - God
> 
> Madre - Mother
> 
> Mon amour, je t'aime - My love, I love you
> 
> J’ai besoin de toi en moi, s’il vous plaît mon amour - I need you in me, please my love
> 
> Juste comme ça, mon amour, ne t’arrête pas - Just like that my love, don't stop
> 
> Tu te sens si bien - You feel so good
> 
> ¿Vas a eyacular por mí? - You going to come for me? (Literally, you going to ejaculate for me?)
> 
> Next chapter will be a small time jump into 1997. I was going to put Jericho in this chapter, but it didn't work out that way *shrugs* next chapter though.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, all the feels. 
> 
> Trigger Warning - Chris admits to contemplating suicide briefly, mentions of the Owen Hart tragedy.

Eddie had to admit, he was still skeptical about this whole thing. Chris believed it, which on one hand was enough for him to believe it as well, but privately he still had his doubts. 1996 faded into 1997 with no remarkable incidents, minus a time or two where his lover had correctly predicted certain events both within the company and without. The rational part of his mind insisted that it was luck or speaking with the writers but something in him told him no, Chris was telling the truth.

Letting himself into their hotel room, he found the man in question sitting at the built-in desk, looking at a yellow legal pad covered in handwriting. “You’re looking awful thoughtful there, _papi_ ,” he remarked, coming up behind Chris and draping himself over him. _“¿Qué pasa?”_

Chris leaned back into him with a sigh, gesturing at the pad with his free hand. “Just writing down some stuff that I remember happened. Is going to happen. I don’t know, I’m still kind of confused on the whole thing.”

Admittedly more than a little curious, Eddie turned his attention to the words written on the pad. Some of it was match predictions, who was going to challenge who and win. Bypassing those, he narrowed in on one thing in particular: _\- Affair angle with Woman (Nancy), her and Sullivan end up divorcing when it becomes more than a story for us._ Ruthlessly quashing the spike of jealousy, he pointed it out, trying to keep his voice even. “What’s that about?”

“Oh, that.” Chris looked faintly embarrassed at least. “Sullivan will put Nancy and I in an angle where it’ll look like her and I are having an affair. He wants to focus more on booking, rather than wrestling, so it’s basically his exit story. Things got… personal with Nancy and I, we ended up dating and actually got married in November of 2000.” He sighed heavily, shaking his head.

“ _Ella es hermosa_ ,” Eddie remarked, his voice oddly steady. He had no right to be jealous, still married to Vickie as he was but that didn’t stop the feeling from being there. “You think that’ll still happen?”

“The storyline? Yeah. The rest of it? No.” Tilting his head, turned and looked at Eddie, who was doing his best to look unaffected. “So you can quit worrying.”

“I wasn’t worried,” The Latino denied instantly, earning a brief knowing look from his lover. Hastily, he scanned the page again and landed on something else that piqued his curiosity. “What’s that? _‘The Montreal Screwjob?’_ Sounds like a mixed drink.”

“It’s not.” Chris pressed a brief kiss to Eddie’s cheek before turning back to the paper. “So, basically what happens is Bret Hart decides to come here to WCW, I’m not a hundred percent on the reasoning. He’s not supposed to join us until December but in any case, he’ll win the WWF title in August at SummerSlam.”

“And he’s still coming here?” Eddie questioned, eyes going wide when Chris nodded. “So, what happens?”

“At the Survivor Series pay-per-view in Montreal, he’ll wrestle Shawn Michaels for the title. Michaels will put him in the sharpshooter, or try to at least, and it’ll look like Bret taps. There’s several different versions of the actual back story. Bret says one thing, Shawn another, you know.” He huffed a little. “You can imagine how well that’ll go over.”

Eddie, who’d never been terribly fond of the arrogant Bret, nodded. “Not much we can do about that, I don’t think,” he mused, not that he was terribly concerned about it. When Chris didn’t respond right away, he looked at his lover curiously. “What?”

“I was just thinking… about Bret’s brother, Owen.”

“What about him?”

“He’ll die in ’99, at another pay-per-view.” Running a hand over his face, Chris chewed at his lower lip. “Fuck, I’d almost forgotten about that.”

“During a match?”

Chris shook his head. “No, stunt gone wrong.” At Eddie’s look, he elaborated. “They gave him some ridiculous gimmick; I think he’s supposed to be a superhero but a bad one? Not a villain, but just clumsy. Anyway, he’s supposed to come down from the rafters of the arena – “

“Like Sting’s doing right now?”

“Yeah. Only thing is, the rig they use fails. He falls something like 80 feet to the ring.”

Eddie recoiled in horror, unable to imagine the sheer terror that Owen must’ve felt in those final moments. “Madre de Dios,” he breathed, goosebumps breaking out over his skin. “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a minute, before Eddie spoke again. “Think we can stop it somehow?” he asked softly, resting his chin on Chris’s shoulder, and wrapping an arm around the other man’s chest. “I know you two are friends.”

Chris reached up, putting his hand over Eddie’s forearm, and letting it rest there. “I’d love to, but I’m not sure how,” he admitted with a sigh, thumb rubbing back and forth on his lover’s arm. “We don’t join WWF until January 2000. That’s actually kind of a funny story too.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I guess Dean and Perry Saturn, they’ll be backstage heading to Bush’s office to quit when they run into you. When you ask them what’s going on, they’ll say they’re quitting, and you just kind of go, ‘ok, I’m coming too.’” He smiled when Eddie laughed. “Next day, I joined you guys, and we later debut on RAW as the Radicalz.”

Still laughing a little, Eddie shrugged half-heartedly. “Sounds like something I’d do,” he freely admitted, hugging Chris close for a moment. Laughter fading, he lapsed into silence as a thought occurred to him. “You’ve told me when it happens, but not how.”

Freezing for a moment, Chris closed his eyes briefly, tossing the notepad onto the desk and grabbed Eddie’s other arm, pulling it around him as well. If he was going to talk about this again, he needed to feel the Latino’s arms around him, to know he was here. “Heart disease,” he finally stated quietly. “There’s a car accident in ’99 you get into, I think you’d taken something and fell asleep at the wheel. That starts an addiction to pain killers, on top of the alcohol. You don’t get truly sober until around 2002, and you stayed that way, but I guess the damage had been done.”

_Well, you wanted to know,_ a small voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like his _madre_ pointed out. Eddie was quiet for the longest time, lost in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. What could he say, what could he do, that would make this knowledge somehow more bearable for the both of them? Chris was still so obviously deeply affected by it, judging by the way he was clinging to his forearms like a life preserver. “I’m so sorry, _cariño,_ ” he finally mumbled, pressing a kiss to Chris’s temple, and allowing his lips to linger there. God, the thought of putting his loved ones through that was… distressing, to say the least. The thought of not watching his girls grow up, watching them graduate or get married, have kids of their own. He sniffed, causing Chris to look at him in alarm. “Just uh, kind of hitting me, you know?” he managed weakly, blinking against the sting of tears in his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Chris replied contritely, his own eyes growing misty. “And you don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“Sounds like I put you and everyone else through hell, so I think I do,” Eddie corrected, allowing his arms to fall away when Chris suddenly stood up and turned to look at him. “Chris…”

Moving the chair aside, Chris framed Eddie’s face in his hands gently. “Listen to me. We’ll figure something out, but you don’t need to apologize. I know it hasn’t actually happened yet, but I’m telling you what I will say: I love you, and there’s nothing for me to forgive. Ok?”

“Si, ok,” he agreed, smiling a little when Chris kissed him on the forehead like a silent blessing. _You are my gift from God, do you know that?_ He wondered silently, wrapping his arms around his lover with a sigh.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was a good thing they had a couple days off because with his newfound knowledge, Eddie didn’t know if he could actually concentrate on a match. Chris had been quiet, clearly lost in his thoughts and Eddie had left him to it, lost in his own. He’d called Vickie earlier after their heavy conversation, wanting to hear his daughter’s voices and even called his _madre._ Something about just speaking with them had lifted a small weight off his chest, but Chris’s words were still echoing ominously in his head. Picking half-heartedly at the pizza they’d ordered in, he sighed heavily, unsure of what to do.

“You alright?” Chris asked softly, looking over at his unusually quiet lover.

“I’m just trying to wrap my head around everything, _¿entiendes?”_ When Chris nodded quietly, Eddie leaned against him, laying his head on Chris’s shoulder. “It’s… a lot.”

“Yeah, it is.” A beat, then, “Would you rather I not have said anything?”

“No, no, it’s a good thing you told me, _querido_.” He sighed again. “I just don’t know what we’re going to do about it all, you know? Especially once that whole thing with you and Nancy starts.”

Wrapping an arm around him, Chris ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of Eddie’s neck soothingly. “There’s nothing to worry about there.”

Eddie made a sound low in his throat. “I don’t even know why I’m so…” he waved a hand vaguely, unable to formulate the words. “I mean, I’m still married to Vickie but here I am, jealous of a beautiful woman who you have to pretend to have an affair with.”

“You know, I get kind of jealous of Vickie sometimes.” Chris’s quiet words made Eddie stop and stare at his lover in surprise. “It got worse after… well, after. CJ, he said once that I was acting like I’d lost my spouse, when we weren’t even married.” He coughed to clear his throat awkwardly. “Everyone knew how to treat Vickie, how to act around her, but they thought I was having an extreme reaction. I think maybe she figured it out after the funeral, though.”

Lifting his head, Eddie shifted to face him. “What do you mean?”

Chris cast a side-long glance at him. “Nancy went to stay with her and the girls, kind of help her out a little. I was supposed to be going on a European tour soon, but I had a couple days off, so I went with her.” He inhaled deeply, exhaling through his nose in an effort to keep himself from getting overly emotional again. “She found me a couple times, in the bed you two shared, curled around your pillow and crying. I remember once, she found me in your home gym, and I was crying, again.” He forced a wan chuckle. “And I told her, you know, that I didn’t know how to go on without you.”

“Chris…”

“I’m not going to lie and tell you I didn’t contemplate suicide. Only thing that stopped me was I knew you wouldn’t want me to do that.” He didn’t hear the audible sigh of relief from Eddie, lost in recalling those fateful days leading up to waking in the past. “I loved Martina, I loved Nancy even, but…” Reaching out, he snagged one of the Latino’s hands in his, watery blue eyes meeting equally teary brown. “Neither of them are you.”

Feeling his cheeks heat, Eddie managed a smile, reaching out with his free hand to gently caress Chris’s cheek. “You’re right, I wouldn’t want you to do that,” he agreed shakily, the thought making him want to just gather his lover close and hold him. “ _Te amo con todo mi corazón, ¿lo sabes?”_

“ _Et je t’aime avec tous les miens_ ,” Chris returned, smiling crookedly at the tiny shiver his French evoked. They fell into a comfortable silence, the emotional toll less oppressive now. “So, what do you think we should do?” At the Latino’s suggestive leer, he blushed and rolled his eyes. “I meant about… everything that’s going to happen.”

Eddie heaved a deep breath, squeezing the hand in his keeping gently. “Honestly? No. We still don’t even know _how_ you came back. What’s the last thing you remember doing before waking up with me?”

“Wandering around your house, feeling lost. I left Nancy and Vickie talking, and I went into the bedroom. Last concrete thing I can recall is sitting on your bed, holding onto your pillow, and crying. Thinking about how much I missed you, how much I wanted you there with me again.” He shrugged a little helplessly at the sad look in Eddie’s eyes. “Next thing I knew, you were asking me if I was going to wake up.”

“Damn.” Off his lover’s look, Eddie shrugged himself. “I don’t know, figured I’d ask if maybe something was off, but I guess there wasn’t.”

Chris shook his head. “No, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Well, guess we’ll figure it out later,” the Latino replied, extricating his hand, and rising to move the pizza box off their bed. “One thing at a time, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Chris watched him for a second. “Hey…”

“Hm?”

“Do you mind if maybe…” he trailed off, flushing in embarrassment and a bit of arousal as his lover stripped to his boxers. “Never mind.”

“Don’t get all shy on me now, querido,” Eddie replied fondly, coming back to the bed, and moving the blankets down so he could climb in. “What is it?”

A beat. “Could I just hold you tonight?” he blurted out, averting his gaze. “I just… I really missed that.”

With a small, sad smile, Eddie nodded, opening his arms in silent invitation. “Whatever you need, baby,” he agreed softly, watching as Chris tugged his shirt off and shucked his jeans shortly after. When the other man crawled back in bed with him, he automatically moved into his embrace. “ _Te amo, mi querido.”_

“Love you too.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Unbeknownst to them, another conversation was about to take place…

Sherilyn Guerrero poked her head out of her bedroom, looking towards her parent’s bedroom warily. The door remained firmly closed, the soft sound of her mom’s snores drifting out allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Tiptoeing out of her room, she raced as quick as she could to her sister’s room, tapping on the door before entering. “Shaul, are you awake?”

Shaul threw the blankets off of her, beckoning her sister closer. “Yeah, I thought maybe you’d fallen asleep,” she replied as her sister climbed into bed with her. They embraced briefly, clinging to each other. “What did we do?”

“I don’t know! You said it was going to bring daddy back,” Sherilyn pointed with a frustrated huff, crossing her arms over her chest. “I didn’t think it meant we’d be going back in time!”

“It kind of worked though?” Shaul remarked, hugging herself as she recalled their dad calling earlier that day. She’d been so happy to hear his voice again, she’d nearly burst into tears. “I mean, he’s alive right now.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sherilyn agreed, picking at the sheet beneath them. “But mom isn’t different, she doesn’t know what’s gonna happen.” She was quiet for a minute, considering. “Do… do you think maybe we should tell her?”

Almost immediately, her older sister shook her head. “We can’t, she’d never believe us, and I don’t think daddy would either.” Shaul sighed, falling back onto her pillows. “I wonder why mom didn’t come back too.”

“I dunno.” Sherilyn nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought. “You don’t think…”

Lifting her head, Shaul looked at her sister. “What?”

“Well, just because _mom_ didn’t come back,” she began slowly. “Doesn’t mean we were the only ones, right? Uncle Chris and Aunt Nancy were at the house too. Maybe one of them came back?”

“I guess anything’s possible,” her sister agreed, looking contemplative. “Next time daddy calls, we can ask if he’ll bring Uncle Chris when they have some time off.”

“He probably will.” Off her sister’s curious look, Sherilyn blushed. “I think they’re in love,” she admitted, watching her sister’s eyes go wide.

“What are you talking about?”

Lowering her voice to just above a whisper, Sherilyn confessed, “I saw them kissing the last time they were together before daddy died. And it wasn’t like how he kisses our other uncles. It was like one of those romance movie kisses.”

Shaul was quiet for several minutes, chewing up her lip in thought. “But… what about mommy?”

Sherilyn shrugged wordlessly. “I don’t think they saw me; I didn’t stick around, and I’ve never told anyone until now.”

Frowning, her older sister finally shrugged. “Maybe mom knew? Knows? Ugh, this is so confusing!” she growled, throwing an arm over her eyes briefly in annoyance. “And he was acting sadder than even mom was after, you remember?”

Sherilyn nodded, recalling how their honorary Uncle had acted when he and Nancy had come to stay with them. “So, we going to try to see if maybe he came back too?”

“Doesn’t seem like we have a choice. If he did or even if he didn’t, maybe he can help us.” Their decision made, Shaul settled down. “You want to sleep in here tonight?”

“You won’t mind?” At her sister’s headshake, Sherilyn laid down beside her, pulling the blankets with them. They were quiet for several minutes, each lost in thought. Finally, she said softly, “I really missed hearing his voice.”

Blinking back tears, Shaul nodded, her throat closing up as she fought the urge to cry. “Me too,” she whispered back, turning, and pulling her sister close. Inhaling and exhaling shakily, she smiled a little in the darkness. “It might not have worked the way we intended, but we got him back, Sheri.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Dean Malenko, the whole thing where he and Perry went to quit and ran into Eddie and him saying, Ok, I'm coming too, actually happened during the Souled Out PPV while Chris was doing his match. It makes me laugh thinking about it, so I had to put it in. I don't know why, but I had the idea for Shaul and Sherilyn to be the ones who tried to bring Eddie back and accidentally ended up sending themselves and Chris back in time. I couldn't figure out a better way to explain Chris randomly going back in time, so it worked out for the best I think. Plus, I can only imagine how devastated they were to lose their dad, and how desperate they'd be to have him back.
> 
> I don't know if Shaul ever called or calls her sister Sheri, but i thought it was cute so there. 
> 
> Que pasa - What's up
> 
> Papi - Term of affection for male relatives, friends or lovers
> 
> Ella es hermosa - She's beautiful
> 
> Madre de dios - Mother of God
> 
> Carino - Sweetheart
> 
> entiendes - Understand
> 
> Madre - Mother
> 
> Te amo con todo mi corazón, ¿lo sabes? - I love you with all my heart, you know?
> 
> Et je t’aime avec tous les miens - And I love you with all mine.
> 
> Te amo, mi querido - I love you my darling


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Nancy have a chat, Eddie and Chris go to Texas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, a bit of an emotional chapter.

Chris rested his forehead against the hotel room door with a heavy sigh, wanting nothing more than to turn back around and rejoin Eddie and Chavo in their room. His body still tingled from the intense lovemaking he and Eddie had indulged in, the latter’s nephew having gracefully given them some alone time. The irony of the situation was almost laughable. Lifting his head with a small shake, he let himself into the room he was currently sharing with Nancy.

Almost the second the door closed behind him, he found himself being kissed by the woman in question. Freezing like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi, he gently pushed her away in surprise. Looking faintly embarrassed, she covered her mouth in shock and backed up a step. “Oh, my God, I’ve totally read this whole thing wrong,” she said, her voice faintly muffled by her hand. “Ugh, I’m such an idiot! You told me from the start that this wouldn’t be more than a story and then I go and kiss you!” She sat down on one of the beds, both hands coming up to cover her face.

“Nancy…,” he began, completely at a loss for words. The problem was that part of him did love her, always would. But in the end, it was Eddie to whom he belonged to, heart and soul. It hadn’t been fair to her the first time, and it wouldn’t be fair to her again. “You’re not an idiot.”

Sniffling, she swiped at her eyes, barely able to look at him. “Easy for you to say,” she replied with a sad laugh. “I told Kevin this would be a bad idea, but it’s almost like – “

“He’s writing his own divorce?” Chris finished, flushing when she blinked at him in surprise. “Well, I mean, who puts their own wife in an affair storyline?”

That got a genuine, if reluctant, laugh out of her. “God, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’d been talking to Sandy,” she told him with a small headshake.

_If you only knew,_ he thought silently, moving in, and sitting down next to her. “Nancy,” he began, taking one of her hands in both of his. “You are a smart, beautiful woman any guy would be lucky to have. Myself included, but I just… I don’t feel that way about you.” He looked down at their hands for a moment before looking back up into her watery eyes. “It wouldn’t be fair for either of us when I’m in love with someone else.”

Sighing, Nancy nodded reluctantly. Chris had told her from the start that things couldn’t go any farther than friends and she’d agreed. At first. As time went on, though, and they had to spend more and more time together… well. Things hadn’t been the best with Kevin lately and Chris was willing to _listen_ to her, and she’d kind of thought that maybe _something_ was there with Benoit. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” she finally apologized quietly, patting the hand overtop hers weakly. “I guess I just thought maybe…”

“Yeah,” he agreed with a small nod and a sigh. This had to be the hardest thing about being back here, he mused, hating that he was basically breaking Nancy’s heart in a way. His thing with Eddie wasn’t exactly fair to Vickie either, but that was Eddie’s cross to bear, not his. Neither woman had known about the extent of their feelings for each other in the past (future?). Once or twice, Nancy’s sister had made a crack about he and Eddie being more married than he and Nancy, but they’d always brushed it off. “I’d really like it if we could be friends, at least.”

“I’d like that too,” she agreed with a wan smile, removing her hand from his and hugging him tightly. Laughing a little when he tensed briefly, she shook her head as she pulled back. “Are you always this tightly wound?”

He was quiet for a second before he shrugged a little helplessly. “Kind of?” he admitted, unable to hold back his smile when she laughed loudly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_“Is Uncle Chris coming with you?”_

“I’m not sure, _hija_ , he might want to go see his kids,” Eddie responded, cradling the phone in between his neck and shoulder. With the newfound knowledge of the possibility of his demise, he’d begun calling home more often just to hear not only his daughter’s voices but even Vickie’s as well. The whole ‘affair’ thing between his lover and Nancy was ending in a couple weeks in Daytona, and they’d both have a few days off after the following Nitro. “I’ll ask him though. Listen, baby, I’ve got to go now, ok?”

_“Ok. Te amo papa.”_

“ _Yo también te amo cariño_ ,” he assured, a lump forming in his throat at Shaul’s rare use of Spanish. “I’ll see you and your sister in a few days, alright?”

“ _Ok. We’ve really missed you.”_

Trying hard not to cry, Eddie smiled into the phone. “I’ve missed you too, _mis amores_. Give your sister a hug from me.” When Shaul assured him she would, they said their goodbyes and he reluctantly hung up the phone. Sighing heavily, he exited the phone booth and made his way inside the diner where Chris was waiting for him. The whole situation just… sucked. There was no other way to really put it. Death was a part of life, sure, but you weren’t supposed to _know_ when it would be coming.

_November 13, 2005._ God, just thinking about that date gave him a chill. Chris seemed to think they could stop it somehow, but how did one stop something like heart disease? He’d cut back on the alcohol, much to Chavo’s pleased surprise, hadn’t even drank anything stronger than beer in the last few months. Chris had related what he could recall of the years of Eddie’s drug and alcohol abuse, admitting he hadn’t been a saint himself in that department.

He was so ready for his upcoming time off, wanting nothing more at this moment than to hold his daughters in his arms again. They’d passed the phone back and forth between them, each wanting to speak with him and from the way they sounded, it was like they just wanted to hear his voice.

“You talk to the girls?” Chris asked as he approached, looking up from the menu he’d been perusing disinterestedly as he waited for Eddie to make his phone call.

“Yeah, they’re excited for me to come home for a few days,” he agreed, sliding into the booth opposite of his lover. “Wanted to know if you were coming too.”

“I mean, if you want me to, I can,” Benoit replied after a moment’s stunned surprise. “I hadn’t really made any plans otherwise.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Bash at the Beach went as expected, though Chris’s match against Sullivan wasn’t near the brawl it had been the first time he’d gone through it. Unlike the first time, Nancy met him backstage with her sister, giving him a hug and making him promise to keep in touch. Sandra had watched them curiously, clearly wondering if their storyline affair had resulted in something deeper. He’d assured her he would, wished her the best and they parted as friends.

The next day, he and Eddie boarded a plane bound for Texas.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“I have to admit, this is going to be a little weird for me,” Chris stated as they climbed into a rental car.

Looking confused, Eddie buckled his seatbelt and cranked the engine. “Why?” he asked curiously. “You know Vickie and the girls already.”

“Eddie, last time I recall seeing Shaul and Sherilyn, they were 15 and 12.” He ran a hand through his hair roughly. The girls had been so quiet after Eddie’s death, completely devastated over losing their father that they’d withdrawn from everyone but each other.

The Latino was quiet as they pulled out of the parking lot and he headed towards home. “Were they… were they alright?” he asked softly, hands clenching briefly on the steering wheel. “You know, after everything?”

It was Chris’s turn to be quiet for a second, not liking to dwell on those terrible weeks before he’d woken up back in time. “They missed you,” he admitted finally, recalling how both girls had hugged him, sobbing their hearts out. “I talked with them some, about stuff you and I had done over the years. They liked me talking about accidently knocking you out that first time, made them laugh.”

That got a small half-smile from Eddie. “Gracias, for doing that,” he said softly, taking one hand off the wheel and grabbing one of Chris’s hands in his. “I know it wasn’t easy for you.”

“It helped me a little as well,” Chris replied, squeezing the hand in his lightly. “And I knew you’d want me to do anything I could to help them.”

“ _Si_ , I would.” They lapsed into silence as Eddie drove, their hands twined together between them. Nothing more was said between them, the radio playing in the background as they steadily got closer to Eddie’s El Paso home. “You going to be able to handle this?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’ll be a little weird at first but I’m sure Vickie and the girls will chalk it up to me being me,” Chris pointed out, smiling slightly when Eddie laughed loudly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Shaul felt like she could barely breathe as the car her father and Chris had rented pulled into the drive. Sherilyn’s hand had a vice like grip on hers, her little sister already close to tears as they waited. “Shaul…” she heard her sister whisper, her voice shaky.

“I know, Sheri,” she whispered back, just as their mother came up behind them.

“Go on, I know you want to,” Vickie told them with a fond smile, opening the door just as her husband and his friend stepped out into the late Texas sun.

With no further encouragement needed, the sisters rushed outside, running straight into their father’s outstretched arms. Shaul instantly felt herself beginning to tear up, squeezing her eyes shut tight as she felt her dad’s embrace again. Sherilyn was already crying, mumbling how much she’d missed him into his shoulder as he tried to calm her down. She could vaguely hear her mother mentioning that they’d missed him, followed by her greeting Chris.

Feeling her father’s hand stroking her hair, she sniffed and leaned back, meeting his warm brown eyes with her own. Clearly a little emotional himself, he smiled at her and she felt her eyes well up again. “Hey, hey, _no_ _llores,_ ok?” he implored, pulling her in and kissing her on the forehead. “I’m here, _hija_ , it’s okay.”

“We just really missed you,” she told him, her voice wavering as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him again.

Chris watched from a small distance, feeling himself get a little choked up as Eddie reunited with his daughters. “They really missed him, huh?” he asked Vickie, who stood beside him letting her daughters greet her husband.

Vickie nodded with a smile. “Oh yeah, they’ve been oddly insistent about seeing the both of you,” she replied, not noticing the strange look that briefly crossed Chris’s face. “More so their dad, of course, but I guess they’ve missed you too. How’s David and Megan?”

“They’re doing good, supposed to see them when we head up to Canada in the next month,” he replied a little absently, his eyes meeting Shaul’s briefly. She was looking at him over Eddie’s shoulder curiously, as though she was trying to puzzle him out. Shrugging it off as nothing, they allowed Vickie to usher them all inside and out of the Texas heat.

After their first home cooked meal in far too long, Eddie had suggested they light the fire pit in the back yard. Sitting around the flickering flames, listening to Vickie and Eddie making small talk, Chris sat back in his chair with a sigh, staring into the fire contemplatively. After a couple hours, Vickie took a sleeping Sherilyn inside, leaving the two men and a half asleep Shaul outside.

“You alright?” Chris questioned softly, taking a sip of his beer, and looking over at Eddie, who had his daughter in his lap and was quietly stroking her hair.

The Latino nodded, his eyes glittering in the firelight with what looked like unshed tears. “I can’t imagine not being here for them,” he admitted, equally soft as he gazed at his eldest daughter. “We have to change that, Chris, I can’t leave them.”

“I know.”

Shaul, who’d been almost asleep, had woken up a little when her father had begun talking. She had to fight to conceal her shock as she heard their conversation. _Oh my God, I was right! Uncle Chris came back too! And daddy… knows?!_ A huge weight she hadn’t even realized she’d been carrying around lifted off of her, and she relaxed even more, her ear pressed against her dad’s chest. The steady thump of his heart reassured her that this was real, and not just a dream. Maybe, just maybe with their Uncle Chris’s help, they would keep him from dying.

Sighing and feeling more content than she had in literal months, she allowed herself to fall asleep, safe and secure in her dad’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's actually a five year age difference between Shaul and Sherilyn, which would make Sherilyn 2 in '97, being born in '95. I shortened it for story purposes, so they're 7 and 5 respectively in this part of the story. In real life, according to Sandra Toffoloni (Nancy's sister), after the final match between Chris and Kevin Sullivan, she was backstage (not with Nancy) and Sullivan wanted her to leave with him, because he and Nancy were still married. Things were... bad between he and Nancy at that point, as her and Chris's storyline had become factual, so I put her in there briefly. The line about Sullivan writing his own divorce kinda became a running joke between Nancy, Chris and Sandra, the actual quote being that Sullivan wrote and produced his own divorce. I have zero idea about a touring schedule for Nitro, so I'm just kinda making some stuff up as I go lol.
> 
> Hija - daughter
> 
> Yo tambien te amo carino - I love you too, sweetheart
> 
> Mis amores - my loves


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaul confesses to Chris that she was the one who sent them back, Chris and Eddie discuss future plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter, we'll get back to the major plot next time.

Shaul took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her and Sherilyn hadn’t had a chance to really speak with Chris alone over the past couple of days, choosing to spend as much time as they could with their dad. God, even though she was now seven again instead of fifteen, she hadn’t realized just how much it was going to hurt seeing him again. It was a good hurt, but still. Now, her mom and dad had gone out, leaving Chris to watch them so they could have some time by themselves.

Stepping into the living room where Chris had the TV but wasn’t really paying attention to it, she waved a little to get his attention. “Can I talk to you?” she asked softly when he looked at her.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Chris stuttered out, gesturing to the empty side of the sofa beside him. “What do you want to talk about?”

_Here goes nothing,_ she thought to herself, sitting down and turning to face him. “This might sound weird, but does the date November 13, 2005 mean anything to you?”

Freezing in place, he turned his head slowly to look at her, feeling the blood drain from his face. “Shaul…”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

“What… how?” He stopped, trying to gather his scattered thoughts, and turned to face her directly as well. “How do you know that?”

Feeling herself beginning to tear up a little, she sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “Sheri and I, we just wanted daddy back,” she began, her voice wobbly with emotion. “And maybe I did it wrong, because it brought us back here.”

_Holy shit._ The words seemed to be on loop as Shaul explained how her and Sherilyn had found some book in a Phoenix library that had some kind of spell (?!) that promised to bring their dad back. She’d stopped talking and was looking at him, her eyes (so much like her dad’s) looking at him expectantly. “What?”

“I said I overheard you and daddy talking that first night. He knows, right? You two are going to stop it?” A beat, followed by a soft, “Are you upset with us? Do you think daddy will be?”

Sighing heavily, he sat back against the arm of the sofa, completely thrown. He’d wanted Eddie back too, albeit for much more selfish reasons than the girl sitting with him. How desperate must her and Sherilyn have been to try some random thing they’d found? When her soft questions penetrated the haze of his brain, he immediately shook his head. “God, no, kiddo, I’m not mad at you and I highly doubt your dad would be either,” he hastened to assure, not wanting her to start crying. “As for stopping it, we’re going to try.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Chris?”

Lifting his head at the sound of Eddie’s voice, he motioned him inside the guest room he’d occupied the last couple of days. “Hey.”

Moving further into the room, Eddie frowned at him. “You ok, _querido?_ ” he questioned softly, reaching out and brushing his fingers along his lover’s cheek, taking note of the tired and drawn appearance.

Nodding, he exhaled softly, managing a small smile for the Latino. “Yeah, just been thinking,” he admitted with a wan smile, laying back down as Eddie sat down on the bed next to him.

“You want to talk about it?” Eddie asked as he settled against the headboard, stretching his legs out on the bed, and looking down at the Canadian.

Benoit was quiet for several long seconds, clearly mulling over what to say. “Well, I figured out how I got here,” he finally opened with, meeting Eddie’s surprised gaze. “Shaul.”

“Shaul?” The Latino questioned; surely he’d misheard. “My Shaul?”

“Well, I sure don’t know anyone else by that name,” Chris pointed out drily before sighing heavily. “Her and Sherilyn, they just wanted you back so badly that I guess they found some book in a Phoenix library and well…” he trailed off with a shrug. “She overheard us talking that first night and realized that it wasn’t just her and Sherilyn that had come back.”

Head spinning, Eddie allowed his head to fall back against the headboard with a dull thud. That explained literally everything with how the girls had reacted to him coming home, wanting to talk to him as much as they could over the phone. _Madre de Dios, my poor girls,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes against the sting of tears. “So, they remember me dying.”

Chris cringed but nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed, remembering how Shaul had told him that fateful date, and the way her brown eyes had welled with tears when she’d said how she’d just wanted her daddy back. “Shaul was scared you’d be upset with her and Sherilyn."

That got Eddie’s attention, making him look back down at Chris incredulously. “Why in _el nombre de Dios_ would I be upset at them?” He sighed heavily when Benoit just shrugged, running a shaky hand through his hair. His poor girls, how desperate had she and Sherilyn been to try something they didn’t even know would work? Lost in thought, he hadn’t realized Chris had spoken until the man nudged him. “¿ _Qué_?”

“Shouldn’t you be with Vickie?” Chris repeated, looking at his lover curiously.

“Yeah, about that… we’ve agreed to separate,” the Latino remarked, stretching a little as his back protested his position.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Shrugging helplessly, Eddie nodded. “She uh, she knows about us,” he began, gesturing to the two of them with one hand to indicate what he meant. “Tonight, she asked me to choose – you or her. I told her I couldn’t make that choice, you know? I love her, she’s the mother of my children but I also love you and in my heart, I knew you’d never ask me to do that, to choose.”

“No, never,” Chris agreed, sitting up and turning to face him. “Even without Nancy in the equation this time, I’d never ask that of you. I know how much the girls mean to you; I wouldn’t take you from them like that.”

“ _Mi punto exactamente_. We’ll work something out with the girls, but it’s more or less over between us.” There was a sadness in Eddie’s voice, but also resignation. He was quiet for a second before looking at Chris curiously. “Did we separate you know, the first time?”

“For a couple years, yeah. You were in a pretty bad place, with the drinking and stuff,” Benoit replied with a small nod. “You actually ended up having a third daughter, Kaylie, with a woman named Tara during that time but you and Vickie ended up working things out. You two were still married when…”

“Yeah.” Eddie let out a small bark of laughter, shaking his head. “Three girls, huh?”

“Yeah.” A beat. “You loved them just as much, though.”

“I don’t doubt it but damn.”

They lapsed into silence, each lost in thought for several long minutes. “It’s odd,” Chris finally said, making his lover look at him. “I remember thinking… after… that if I’d had the chance, I’d have married you and the hell with what everyone else thought.” Eddie continued to look at him for several beats, making Chris a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “What?”

“Was that even legal by that time?”

A little confused, Chris shook his head. “Not in the US,” he admitted, dropping his eyes to the bedspread beneath them. “Canada will legalize it in… ’03, I think?”

“2003, huh?”

“Yeah…?”

Eddie considered that for a minute before shrugging. “Ok, guess we can wait that long.” When Chris looked back up at him in shock, he laughed. “What, you thought I’d say no? I mean, not that you even really asked there, _querido_.”

Mouth working soundlessly, Benoit stared at the Latino for several long seconds, completely taken aback. “You- you’re serious?” he finally croaked, eyes going impossibly wider when the other man nodded.

“ _Sí_ , why wouldn’t I be?” When Chris continued to gape at him like a landed carp, Eddie laughed again, shaking his head. “You should have more faith in me, _corazón mío. Eres la otra mitad de mi alma,_ why wouldn’t I marry you?”

Unable to properly formulate a response, Chris simply leaned in and kissed him, pouring everything he couldn’t say aloud into the meeting of their mouths. “ _Je t’aime tellement, veux-tu m’épouser?”_ he breathed when the kiss broke, one hand coming up and resting gently on Eddie’s cheek.

Shivering a little at Chris’s use of French, he nodded. “You sure you want to?” he couldn’t help but tease a little, his smile growing when the Canadian nodded. “Then of course I will. It’s just too bad we’re not somewhere with a little more privacy.”

Chris blushed, turning steadily darker when Eddie gave a low, throaty laugh. “We will be tomorrow,” he pointed out, before snapping his mouth shut at his own boldness and promptly going mute in embarrassment as his lover laughed even harder.

The next day as the guys got ready to leave, Vickie was noticeably cooler towards Chris than she’d been in the past. He kept his distance, giving the girls a hug and getting a whispered, “Thank you,” from Shaul which made him smile a little, patting her on the back reassuringly.

Kneeling down, Eddie looked his eldest daughter in the eyes, pushing her dark hair out of her face gently. “Shauly, _pase lo que pase, estoy muy orgullosa de ti_ ,” he told her softly so only she could hear, watching her eyes well with tears. “I love you, baby girl.”

Overcome with emotion, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I love you too, daddy,” she told him, closing her eyes, and reveling in his embrace again. “Be safe, ok?”

“I’ve got my guardian wolverine, I’ll be ok,” he joked, making her and Sherilyn both giggle, even as Vickie frowned a little behind them. Giving the girls one last hug, he stood up and met Vickie’s unhappy eyes. They managed to put a show on for the girls, not having told them about their separation yet. Chris watched them impassively where he was leaning against the car, arms folded over his chest. “See you in a few weeks.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You ok?” Chris asked after the door of their hotel room closed behind them. Eddie had been quiet throughout their trip to rejoin the rest of the Nitro roster, and he’d left the Latino to his thoughts.

“ _Sí, estoy bien_ ,” Eddie agreed with a small nod, dropping his gear bag beside Chris’ and stretching. “Just thinking about everything.” Catching the look on Benoit’s face, he grabbed one of the other man’s hands in his. “I don’t regret it, so you can stop thinking that.”

“I wasn’t,” Chris denied, before shrugging a little as he laced their fingers together and squeezed gently. “Alright, maybe I was but can you blame me?”

“Nah, not really.” The Latino sighed, scrubbing his free hand through his hair roughly. “I just got to thinking about the whole situation with Shaul and Sherilyn. I can’t believe they did that.”

“I can.” Chris’s voice was soft, his gaze focused on their entwined hands as he thought back to those two weeks after Eddie’s death. The oppressive air in the home Eddie had shared with Vickie and the girls, how everywhere he’d turned, even on the road, had reminded him of the man who was standing before him. “I remember feeling like I’d give literally anything to have you back,” he finally spoke, his voice cracking a little with emotion. “They likely felt the same, probably thought whatever they did might not even work. From the way Shaul sounded, it didn’t exactly work the way she thought it would anyway.”

“Hey.” Eddie waited until Chris lifted his eyes and looked at him. “You and me, we’re in this together. Now I know, we’re going to do everything we can to change things.” He suddenly smiled, more than ready to change the subject. “So, who suggested our WrestleMania after party? Me?”

Turning a shade of red that would’ve made a fire truck look pink, Chris shook his head a little reluctantly. “It was me,” he admitted, flushing even darker at the surprised look his lover was giving him. “You uh, you’d been trying to get me to agree to something like that for years. Anytime we were champs at the same time and I always flat out refused.”

Laughing, the Latino tugged him over to the bed and sat down, pulling Chris to stand between his legs. “So what made that night different?” he questioned curiously.

“I don’t really know,” Chris told him honestly. He could still recall with clarity the doubting look he’d received at the suggestion, followed by laughter as they tried to make the belts fit together. “I still don’t know how we managed it, that one damn title belt is huge.”

“No chance of us doing that any earlier this time around, huh?” Eddie asked laughing and leaning back when Chris adamantly shook his head. “Ah well, didn’t think it would hurt to ask.”

“I wonder if it’ll happen again anyway, our ‘Mania moment.” Off the inquiring look he received Chris elaborated. “I jumped to RAW after the winning the rumble for a chance at the heavyweight title. You stayed on Smackdown as the champion there, but things will be different this time if we get married- “

“When,” The Latino corrected, cutting Benoit off before he could go further. “Not if, _querido_ , when.”

Smiling shyly, Chris nodded before correcting himself, “ _When_ we get married, then. I know they try not to split married couples up, but I don’t even know if it’ll apply to us. I already know I don’t keep mine for long, unfortunately. We both lose ours at SummerSlam later that year.”

Making a face at the thought of losing those obviously long sought-after titles, Eddie considered for a moment. “We can wait until after ‘Mania? I know I want us to have that moment together, married or not.”

“That could work, I’ll have a ‘Mania rematch at Backlash which will be in Edmonton,” Chris agreed after a moments thought. “You don’t want to know who you lose to?”

“Maybe later,” Eddie dismissed, freeing his hand from Chris’ and moving both to the waist of the other man’s jeans. “In the meantime, though, I have something much better for us to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I follow Shaul on Instagram and stumbled across a family picture she posted on Father's Day (in the US) for Eddie, and she wrote that he called her Shauly or baby girl, so I incorporated it in. There's going to be more smut throughout the story but I felt this was a good ending for this chapter. Didn't want it to get too carried away and take away from the over all plot. I've got most of it plotted out, including major events that may still happen (Eddie's car accident, Chris breaking his neck) but in different ways. I'll likely be updating once a week until finished, maybe twice, but for sure at least once.
> 
> Madre de Dios - Mother of God
> 
> Querido - Darling
> 
> el nombre de Dios - God's name
> 
> Que - What
> 
> Mi punto exactamente - My point exactly
> 
> corazón mío - My heart
> 
> Eres la otra mitad de mi alma - You are the other half of my soul
> 
> Je t’aime tellement, veux-tu m’épouser - I love you so much, will you marry me?
> 
> pase lo que pase, estoy muy orgullosa de ti - whatever happens, I'm so proud of you
> 
> Sí, estoy bien - Yeah, I'm fine


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in '97 at this point. Mentions of Brian Pillman's passing (10/5/97) followed by Eddie's birthday (10/9).

Chris sat down heavily, cradling his head in his hands. _I’m sorry, Brian,_ he thought to himself miserably, _I’m so damn sorry._ The news had come down earlier that day: Brian Pillman dead at 35 from a heart attack. “You can’t save everyone, _querido_ ,” Eddie’s softly accented voice announced his presence, the Latino leaning against him in a comforting manner.

“I know,” Chris admitted, allowing his hands to fall from his face and land in his lap. “I still feel like maybe – “

“ _Mi_ _amor_ , realistically, what could you have done?” The Latino asked seriously, making Benoit look at him. “Sure, you knew what would happen, but who’s to say he’d have believed you like I did? It wasn’t like you could give him some kind of hint, or you know, told him the truth.”

Sighing, Chris nodded. Eddie was right, of course he was right, but it still rankled. “You’re right, of course, but it just sucks.”

Pressing a small kiss to his lover’s temple, Eddie nodded. “It does, no question,” he agreed, taking one of Chris’ hands in his. They fell silent for several long minutes. “Hey, so I think I know something that’ll help.”

“Honestly, Eddie, I’m not really up for anything – “

“Not that, _ese._ I meant about me, keeping me alive, yeah?” When his lover nodded, he continued on. “I’m going to stop drinking, but I have a condition.”

“Okay…?”

“You stop doing that _pinche_ headbutt.”

Blinking at Eddie, Chris stared at him in surprise. “Seriously?” he asked, getting an adamant nod from the Latino. “Why?”

With a heavy sigh, Eddie reached up with his free hand and placed it gently on Chris’s neck. “You said you break your neck, right? I don’t want that to happen again. We don’t know what could happen if it did, if maybe it would be worse.” A beat. “And if I know you, that’s exactly what caused it.”

Chris was quiet as he recalled that fateful TLC match in 2001, the start of his neck issues. “Yes and no,” he admitted, wincing a little at the dark look his lover cast at him. “It affected the I want to say C1, collar bone and a few spinal vertebrae.” He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “And rather than wait to heal, went back too soon and that’s when it happened. Missed the headbutt, fractured the C2 and 3.”

“ _¡Dios mío!_ You could’ve been paralyzed, or worse, you could’ve died!” Eddie almost shouted, feeling both vindicated and guilty when Chris visibly cringed. Willing himself to calm down, he squeezed Benoit’s hand still in his. “I’m sorry, _querido_.”

“It’s alright, I knew you were going to be mad.” Chris’s voice was soft but not upset or angry. “You were pretty mad when it happened too. I think I heard every single swear word you could muster and a few that I think you made up on the spot.”

“I probably did,” the Latino agreed with a small laugh, earning a small smile from Chris as well. “So, I stop drinking, and you stop doing that headbutt?”

“Alright, deal,” Benoit agreed as he leaned in and sealed the whole thing with a slow kiss.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You fall asleep on me, _querido?_ ” Eddie called out as he entered the hotel room he shared with Chris, tossing the keys of their rental onto the desk. Turning, he was about to call out again, only to stop in his tracks.

“Happy birthday?” Chris offered from where he was stretched out on the bed in only his boxers, bits of cheesecake spread out over his bare chest. Flushing at the stunned look on his lover’s face, he shifted a little under Eddie’s gaze. 

Feeling slightly lightheaded as all the blood in his body seemed to rush south, Eddie stared at the Canadian slack-jawed for several moments. “What… what’s all this?” he finally managed, gesturing to Benoit’s almost naked form even as he pulled his shirt over his head.

Chris shrugged as best he could without sitting up. “You uh, you did something similar for my birthday once,” he admitted, turning even redder at the memory of finding his lover naked and covered in cheesecake and strawberry syrup. “So I figured maybe I’d return the favor? Even if it took me like six months to be able to look at cheesecake without being turned on.”

Laughing, the Latino kicked his shoes off, stripping down to his skin and approaching the bed. “I’m certainly not complaining. Definitely one of the better presents I’ve ever gotten,” Eddie replied with a grin, climbing into bed and giving Chris a kiss. Bending down, he licked a smear of cheesecake off his lover’s chest, grinning madly at the loud gasp.

Another gasp escaped Chris as Eddie swirled his tongue around a nipple, sucking lightly on the skin to ensure he’d gotten it all. “Figured you’d – fuck- enjoy this,” he managed, moaning loudly as the Latino palmed his erection through his boxers.

Licking up another smear, Eddie lifted his head and swallowed, meeting lust glazed blue eyes. “ _A veces eres demasiado bueno conmigo, ¿lo sabías_?” he asked with small laugh as his lover shivered. “I may not like the reason for you having to come back, but I’m absolutely enjoying this.”

Benoit didn’t have the heart to tell him that part of his reasoning was in case they couldn’t stop it, he wanted not just the memories he already had but these new ones as well. If things didn’t change, and if Eddie died ( _again)_ he ~~wanted~~ needed this time. Looking back now, he could see how some of his actions had hurt the man he loved, and vice versa. They’d gotten past it the way they’d done everything else, together, but sometimes he wondered if maybe the damage had been done. A tongue lapping over his other nipple pulled him back to here and now, drawing a low whine from him.

“Thinking long thoughts again?” Eddie’s voice was understanding, if a little muffled by the bite of cheesecake currently in his mouth as he leaned up to kiss him.

Moaning in his throat as their tongues twined together, sharing the bit of cheesecake between them, Chris shuddered. “Best idea ever,” he mumbled when they broke apart, smiling when the Latino laughed. “ _Je t'aime.”_

“ _Yo también te quiero_ ,” Eddie returned easily, nuzzling against Chris’ cheek fondly. “No more long thoughts, not tonight.”

“I’ll try,” Benoit promised, wrinkling his nose when his lover bopped him on it with a finger. “The hell was that for?”

“It’s my birthday for several more hours yet, so no more long thoughts, you hear me?” his lover demanded seriously, waiting for the Canadian’s nod of assent. “ _Bueno._ Now where was I? Oh yeah…”

Any dark thoughts quickly fled as one hand pushed down Chris’ boxers enough to stroke along his now thoroughly interested erection even as a warm, wet tongue licked up another bite of cheesecake. “F-fuck, Eddie,” he moaned out, back arching as his erection was momentarily released. Panting, he looked down to where the Latino had moved between his thighs, swiping some of the cheesecake off his abs and looking at his erection thoughtfully. Mustering a glare at the playful look in those brown eyes, he grit his teeth together and growled out, “Don’t you dare.”

Laughing, Eddie rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. “Alright, alright, have it your way,” he replied, bringing his fingers to his mouth before sucking the sweet treat off them in an obscene manner. The broken little whine that escaped Chris almost made him laugh again, removing his fingers with a small pop. “Something wrong, _querido_?”

“You’re a damn tease, you know that?” Chris muttered in frustration, letting his head fall back only to gasp loudly a second later when his lover’s tongue ran over the head of his cock. “ _Merde.”_ It was official, he was never going to look at cheesecake the same, ever again. Slightly dazed from arousal, he felt more than saw Eddie crawl back up over him, his lover licking up stray remnants of the treat on his way. Opening his eyes (when had he closed them?), he met the warm brown of Eddie’s when he felt the man’s hand on his face. “Hey.”

“ _Hola guapo,”_ The Latino returned, grinning when Chris flushed in embarrassment but managed to smile back at him. “I really did something like this for you?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah, the year I came back from my neck surgery. I wasn’t happy about not being able to do anything for the longest time, felt like I wasn’t ever going to get a chance at a title shot again. You had Chavo and Dean distract me at the gym and when I came into our room…” he trailed off, his entire body flushing red.

“Judging by how red you are, I think I might have to do it again,” Eddie teased, peppering teasing kisses along Chris’ collarbone and delighting in the gasping moan they elicited. Making his way back up to his lover’s ear, he switched to Spanish. “ _Te deseo tanto, siempre. Nunca quiero estar sin ti, mi amor. No puedo esperar a casarme contigo, tenerte a todos para mí.”_

Aroused and frustrated beyond belief, Chris used his strength to his advantage, flipping them over and pinning Eddie to the bed. His lover looked up at him with a wicked grin, clearly happy with the change in position. “You could’ve just said this is what you wanted,” Benoit pointed out as the Latino parted his thighs for him to settle between.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Eddie questioned laughingly, leaning up and drawing Chris into a soft kiss.

Shaking his head as the kiss broke, Benoit couldn’t hold back his amused smile. “What am I going to do with you,” he half questioned, half stated, gaze warm as he looked his lover over.

“I have an idea or two if you don’t,” the Latino replied, bucking his hips into Chris’ pointedly and drawing a gasp from the both of them as their erections brushed against each other. Throwing a leg over his lover’s hip, he smirked at Benoit. “Like this, for instance.”

“You sure?” Chris asked after a second, willing himself not to come on the spot. “I kind of thought maybe you’d want the other way around tonight.”

“Eh, there’s always next time,” Eddie replied flippantly, before reverting back to Spanish, knowing full well it would prod Chris into further action. “ _Mucho más bien tienes que estar dentro de mí esta noche_.”

With a small growl, Benoit kissed him again, one hand reaching underneath their pillows for the tube of lubricant he’d stashed there earlier. “ _Si c’est moi que tu veux, c’est ce que tu auras. C’est ton anniversaire après tout.”_

Whimpering as Chris sat back to open the lube, he lifted his head enough to pout at his lover. “Not playing fair, using your French,” he muttered, watching as his lover half shrugged as he rubbed his fingers together to warm the slightly tacky stuff.

“You started it,” Chris reminded him casually, bringing his coated fingers to the entrance of his lover’s body and probing at it gently before slipping two fingers inside to an encouraging moan. “ _Tu as l’air si bien comme ça, tu le sais_?”

Whining, Eddie thrust back onto those probing fingers, willing them deeper and harder. “Chris,” he panted, moaning loudly as a third finger found its way inside of him. “ _Dios_ , baby, please.”

Chris continued to tease him for several seconds before finally replacing his fingers with his cock. Looking down, he watched himself sinking inside of his lover, biting the inside of his lip at the harsh moan from the Latino. They’d been lovers for so long that most people would say the shine should’ve worn off their relationship, but Benoit didn’t think he’d ever get tired of this. The feel of Eddie’s inner muscles clenching around him, the sight of those warm brown eyes blown wide with pleasure, sweat slick skin underneath his hands. “ _Dieu, je t’aime tellement_ ,” he breathed as Eddie lifted a hand to his face, turning and placing a soft kiss into the warm palm.

“Love you too, my Chris,” Eddie returned, thumb running over the Canadian’s cheekbone absently. A soft gasp escaped him on a small thrust from his lover, arching his back in a silent encouragement for more. He’d never figured out what he’d done to deserve this man who he loved and who loved him beyond all logic and reason, but this right here? Chris inside him, looking at him like he was the most treasured thing in his world, made everything they’d gone through and would go through worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesecake was apparently both their weaknesses, so yeah. I've got the next TWO (!) chapters already in progress! Yay me! Next we'll jump ahead to '98, where nothing major happens in wrestling but well, you'll see. 
> 
> Pinche - Fucking
> 
> Hola guapo - Hey, handsome
> 
> A veces eres demasiado bueno conmigo, ¿lo sabías? - Sometimes you're too good to me, you know that?
> 
> Te deseo tanto, siempre. Nunca quiero estar sin ti, mi amor. No puedo esperar a casarme contigo, tenerte a todos para mí - I want you so much, always. I never want to be without you, my love. I can't wait to marry you, have you all for me.
> 
> Mucho más bien tienes que estar dentro de mí esta noche - Much rather have you inside me tonight.
> 
> Merde - Shit
> 
> Si c’est moi que tu veux, c’est ce que tu auras. C’est ton anniversaire après tout - If you want me, that's what you'll get. It's your birthday after all.
> 
> Tu as l’air si bien comme ça, tu le sais? - You look so good like this, you know that?


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, look at me, two chapters in a couple of days! We're in '98 at this point, though we'll be in '99 at the end.

“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Eddie finished buttoning his shirt, looking over at where Chris was sprawled across the hotel bed. The sight of him in only a pair of loose-fitting sweats was incredibly tempting, considering what he was about to go and deal with. With a smile, he shook his head regretfully. “Much as I always love your company, this is something I’ve got to do on my own, _¿entender?”_

Chris nodded, sitting up with one easy motion and stretched, flushing under the appreciative gaze of his lover. “Yeah, I understand. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” He sighed softly as Eddie came over and stood in front of him, looking down at him. “I’ll probably go to the gym or something while you’re gone, work off some energy.”

Laughing lowly, the Latino leant down and drew his lover into a teasing kiss. “Don’t work off too much,” he mumbled into the kiss, snickering a little at the red creeping into Benoit’s cheeks. _Ah, mi querido, don’t ever change._ “See you in a couple hours. Love you.”

Ducking his head to unsuccessfully his pink cheeks, Benoit nodded. “Alright. Love you too.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sitting in the lawyer’s office with Vickie, Eddie fought the urge to go get roaring drunk after this was over with. In only a couple more months, he’d be sober for a year and he didn’t really want to throw that away or see the disappointed look in both Chris and Chavo’s eyes. He and Vickie had agreed to keep things as friendly as possible to avoid dragging the girls into it. She’d retain custody and the house in El Paso, he’d get visitation whenever he was available and had volunteered to help financially for the foreseeable future.

The lawyer presented them with the papers, neatly marked with where to sign. Vickie took the pen that was proffered with a glance in Eddie’s direction. Without a word, she signed where indicated before passing him the pen to sign his name. Taking the pen, he hesitated for a split second before signing his own name and handing both papers and pen back to the lawyer. Rising to his feet as Vickie did the same, they shook hands with the lawyer who promised to file the paperwork and wished them the best. In an awkward silence, they left the office, stepping out into the Texas heat.

After an extended silence as they got into the car, Eddie glanced over at a silent Vickie in the passenger seat. “How do you want to tell the girls?” he questioned softly, hands flexing nervously on the steering wheel. Part of him wished Chris had come with him, but this had been difficult enough without adding the tension that he knew would be there between the Canadian and his now ex-wife.

Vickie sighed heavily, one hand coming up to rub at her eyes. She’d already explained to the girls that they’d separated and were trying to work things out. Shaul had seemed to think everything would work out, showing a maturity far beyond her young years. Sherilyn hadn’t seemed as confident but she’d chalked it up to her being young and maybe not understanding. “I don’t know,” she admitted after a moment, staring out the window blankly. How was she supposed to tell them that their father was leaving her for another man, for the man they referred to as an honorary uncle? At least Eddie had had the good sense to not bring Chris with him to this whole thing.

Eddie was quiet as he navigated through traffic. “You want me to tell them?” he asked finally after several minutes of tense silence. When she looked at him in surprise as he slowed to a stop at a traffic light, he shrugged awkwardly. “It’s my fault, the divorce, I admit it. So, if you want me to I’ll talk to them.”

_Maybe, but **I** was the one who made you choose between me and Chris, _she thought to herself, remembering that night a couple years ago where she’d confronted him about her suspicions. Until that night, she hadn’t realized just how long he and Chris had been carrying on behind both her back and that of Chris’ now ex-wife. She wanted to think she got it, the guys never had a lot of home time and at least it wasn’t with another woman. Something had changed though, she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly it was, but something had changed. “No, we’ll do it together. They deserve to hear it from both of us,” she told him at last.

She caught his nod of acceptance from the corner of her eye and part of her wanted to scream, lash out and hit him. How dare he do this to her, to their girls?! The more rational part of her pointed out he’d probably let her, and honestly, it wouldn’t do much good anyway. The papers were signed, things were over and done. Vickie could tell he was sober, that light in his eyes she recalled from when they’d begun dating years ago back and he seemed overall healthier, both physically and mentally. That alone settled it for her. Clearly, he’d gotten sober for Chris, something he hadn’t done for her and something she hadn’t known how to ask him to do.

The car rolled to a stop outside the house they’d shared, the house that was now hers and she barely registered him putting the car in park. His soft utterance of her name made her look at him, his eyes damp with emotion. “Vickie, you have to know, we… Chris and I… we didn’t mean for this to hurt anyone. Least of all you or Martina.”

“Did she know?” At his look, she elaborated. “Martina, Chris’s ex-wife. Did she know? Is that why they split?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted on an exhale, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Chris never said.”

“Hm.” Vickie shook her head almost imperceptibly, undoing her seat belt as Eddie turned the car off and undid his own. “Girls will be home soon, I guess we’ll tell them when they get home.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chris was on his feet the moment he heard the door beginning to open, enveloping Eddie in his arms before the door even had a chance to close. He didn’t bother asking how it went, the broken look on his lover’s face answer enough. “It’ll be alright,” he whispered softly, carding one hand through his dark hair in an effort to soothe him.

After allowing himself to wallow in Chris’ arms for several minutes, Eddie cleared his throat as they pulled apart. “The girls are upset,” he finally said, recalling how Shaul had fled the room in tears. Sherilyn was only a little better, having listened to his stumbling explanation with an inscrutable look on her face. “Vickie’s not exactly thrilled either, but at least she didn’t throw something at me.” A beat. “Why weren’t you with me?”

Benoit went to open his mouth and point out that Eddie had told him not to come before it occurred to him what he was talking about. “You mean the night you died.”

It was a statement, not a question, but the Latino nodded anyway. “Shaul… before I left, she said you weren’t even with me, that night,” he replied quietly, remembering her tear streaked face staring at him accusingly.

Taking a deep breath, Chris sat down heavily on the foot of the bed, exhaling through his nose as he thought back to that day. “We… we’d gotten into an argument, you and I,” he finally admitted after several moments. “Things at home were strained with Nancy and I for a couple different reasons, and we were contemplating divorce. I don’t know what I thought, but when I called you to talk about it, I guess maybe you thought I was asking you to leave Vickie to be with me.”

“You wouldn’t do that.” Eddie’s voice was sure, but there was a minor hint of doubt in his tone which he privately hated. He knew Chris better than anyone and doubting the man’s actions was something he never did but hearing Shaul tell him that had allowed it to take root.

“No, and I wasn’t trying to either. You know me, sometimes I’m not that good with words, especially when I’m upset. We got into a huge fight and didn’t talk again until the day before we were supposed to head to Minneapolis.” He exhaled a shuddery breath, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “That… that day, you and Chavo were heading into the hotel, and I was on my way out with CJ. The three of us agreed to meet up in the morning, and you tried getting my attention like you wanted to talk, but I avoided it. Went with CJ, had a couple drinks and when I got back, I tried going to your room, but you didn’t answer.” Chris sniffed, close to tears as he remembered how he’d leaned against the door, wanting nothing more than to have his friend answer but figured maybe Eddie had fallen asleep and finally dragged himself away. “The next morning… well, you know the rest.”

Watching Benoit begin to breakdown, and on the verge of tears himself, Eddie moved over to stand before him, dropping to his knees to look his lover in the face. “ _Lo siento mucho, querido_ ,” he managed to get out, meeting tear stained blue eyes with his own. He couldn’t say with a hundred percent certainty, but his own guilt over their affair must have caused him to lash out at the worst possible time. God, how badly hurt Chris must have been, calling him for advice only to get rebuked and told off. And then, to have to deal with his death, never being able to hear Eddie apologize or for them to talk things out. _My poor Chris…_

Fully sobbing now, Chris shook his head in distress. “No, I’m sorry, I should’ve talked to you, I should’ve been there with you, it’s my fault, it’s all my fault,” he choked out, huge, gulping sobs wracking his powerful frame. The Latino’s arms around him startled him for a split second before he all but collapsed on the other man, sliding off the bed and onto the floor with Eddie as he cried. He’d blamed himself for so long, the what if’s running through his head even as he worked to change things this time around. If only they hadn’t argued, if only he hadn’t gone with CJ, if only he’d spoken with Eddie that night, on and on and on.

His heart breaking as he watched one of the toughest men he’d ever known breakdown like this, Eddie fought back his own tears. How long had Chris been carrying this guilt of not being there? He couldn’t have known what was going to happen at that time but obviously he’d still felt like it was his fault for not being there. “It’s ok, it’s alright, it wasn’t your fault,” he repeated like a mantra, arms tightening around his lover as he tried to calm him down. After what felt like hours, with his joints beginning to protest holding not only himself but an extra two hundred plus pounds, his lover had finally stopped crying, though his breathing was still ragged. “You back with me?”

Chris nodded, still sniffling. “Yeah,” he agreed with a shaky exhale, wincing as he went to stand, and his legs protested the movement. “Sorry about that.”

“No sorry,” Eddie replied immediately, taking Chris’ hand as he stood up as well. Bringing his hands up to cup his lover’s face in them. Brushing the remnant of tears away, he shook his head as his lover went to apologize again. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I don’t know why I did and said the things I did, but they hurt you and I’m sorry for that.”

“’s okay,” Benoit replied shakily, closing his eyes, and relaxing into his lover’s touch. Just having the Latino touch him made him feel better, the lightly callused palms catching on his stubble. Opening his eyes again, he graced his lover with a wan smile, getting a small one in return. “I love you.”

“Love you too, _mi querido._ ” Leaning in, Eddie brushed a soft kiss across Chris’ mouth. Sensing the desperate need for a subject change, he chuckled a little when his stomach growled loudly. “You want to go grab something to eat?”

“Do you mind if we just order in tonight?” Benoit asked softly, his voice still a little tremulous. “I don’t really feel up to dealing with people after that.”

“Whatever you need.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

_January 1, 1999_

Heart hammering in his chest, Chris skidded to a halt at the desk of the emergency room. “I’m looking for Eddie Guerrero, he was brought in from a car accident?”

The receptionist consulted her computer, fingers moving rapidly over the keys before she nodded. “Yep, third door on the left,” she told him, pointing down the hall and hitting the button to open the doors for him to go through.

Barely having the presence of mind to thank her, he rushed off. Slowing just outside the door in question, he nearly fainted with relief when he heard Eddie’s voice speaking to someone inside. Pushing the cracked door wider, he stepped inside and moved the curtain from around the bed. Seeing the Latino sitting up with hardly a scratch, save for a sling on his arm, was such a relief that he briefly swayed on the spot.

Looking over as the curtain moved, Eddie gave his lover a smile. “ _Hola querido,”_ he greeted breezily, getting a half annoyed, half amused look in return.

“You scared the hell out of me,” Chris griped, even if he couldn’t hide the relief in his tone as he approached the bed. “Are you okay? Is he going to be ok?” he questioned, directing the second at the doctor, who nodded his head.

“Shoulder subluxation,” the doctor replied, laughing lightly at the blank look he got in return. “Minor shoulder dislocation, a few bumps and bruises. You’ll need to take it easy the next couple of days, rest your shoulder as much as you can and ease back into workouts.” He scrawled his signature across the paperwork in his hand before handing it off to Eddie. “Keep the sling on for a couple weeks, ice for swelling, and take ibuprofen for pain. If you feel you need anything stronger, talk to your regular doctor and see if they can give you some Norco.”

“ _Si_ , okay. _Gracias_ , doc.” The doctor nodded, excusing himself and left the room. Turning to Chris, Eddie mustered a smile. “I swear, it wasn’t my fault this time.”

Moving to help his lover get down, Chris pulled him into an embrace, taking care not to jostle his injured shoulder. “I was so scared,” he admitted softly, one hand coming up and brushing against Eddie’s cheek.

“I know, baby, I’m sorry,” the Latino replied with a sigh, leaning into the Canadian and resting there for several moments. “Scared me too. Stupid _pendejo_ , running a damn red light.” Pulling away slightly, he grabbed Chris’ hand in his uninjured one. “Let’s go home.”

Squeezing his lover’s hand in his, Chris nodded. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why Eddie wasn't sharing a room with anyone that night in Minneapolis, so I had to figure out something that would work within the confines of the story. I also have ZERO idea why Chris and his first wife divorced, I haven't found anything about that and honestly, it's really none of my business or anyone else's. 
> 
> I made up the thing about Chris going with CJ (Jericho). On Dark Side of the Ring, Chavo mentioned that when he and Eddie were heading into the hotel in Minneapolis, Chris was heading out somewhere, so it made a convenient plot device. 
> 
> The original car accident on January 1, 1999 was caused by Eddie taking a dose of GHB and dozing off at the wheel. They actually had thought he was dead and it was only because of someone passing by that saw him move that they realized he wasn't. The accident was what caused the destruction of the LWO (Latino World Order) and the start of his major abuse of pain killers. I obviously changed it this time, making the injuries minor and the accident caused by someone running a red light.
> 
> Norco is a prescription painkiller here in the US, it's a combination of Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Cepacol, etc.) and Hydrocodone. It's considered a narcotic and can be addictive.
> 
> Next Chapter, we see the 'Fingerpoke of Doom', and Owen Hart. Will he be saved this time? Well, duh.


	9. Chapter 8

A few days later, Chris took a look at the date and made a face. “Ugh, the finger poke thing happens tonight,” he muttered lowly, helping Eddie adjust the sling on his arm. “That better?

“ _Sí, eso es bueno_ ,” Eddie agreed, brushing his fingers over Chris’ with a smile as the other man pulled away. Keeping his voice equally low so as not to be overheard, he looked at the other man questioningly. “The finger poke thing?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. They rarely tempted fate like this, discussing Chris’s knowledge of things that hadn’t quite happened yet where anyone could hear them, but who wouldn’t wonder what the heck Chris meant about a finger poke.

Benoit sighed, shaking his head. “You’ll see,” he replied cryptically as they made their way to the monitors to watch the end of Nitro. As Nash and Hogan stood in the ring to await the start of their match, he nudged Eddie and pointed. “Watch.”

The Latino turned his attention to the screen just as Hogan reached out and poked Nash in the chest. He watched incredulously as the bigger man sold it as though Hollywood had whacked him with a chair. Nash looked almost comical as he dramatically threw himself to the mat and allowing Hogan the pin. Turning to his lover, who like most of the locker room around them, did not look amused in the slightest, he raised his eyebrows. _Are you kidding me?_ He wondered silently, disgusted beyond belief. Shaking his head, he glanced in anger at the monitor as the two men embraced in the ring in a show of solidarity, followed by Steiner and Hall coming out to join them. “Let’s get out of here,” he vaguely heard Chris tell him, a gentle touch at his elbow prompting him to move.

“What the fuck was that?” Jericho could be heard griping somewhere behind them, followed by several other unhappy mutterings from other members of the locker room.

“This shit’s getting ridiculous,” Eddie grumbled as he managed to get in the passenger seat of their rental with minimal discomfort. Chris made an agreeing sound as he shut the Latino’s door for him, moving around to the driver’s side and getting in himself. “What the hell was even the point of that?”

Chris could only shake his head in disgust as he put the keys in the ignition and started the car. “I don’t know. All I know is it’s the beginning of the end for WCW.”

That caught Eddie’s attention as he fumbled with the seatbelt with his good arm, smiling a little when Benoit leaned over and secured the seatbelt for him without prompting. He gave the other man a small kiss in thanks, mentally shaking his head at the pleased expression Chris aimed at him. “What do you mean, it’s the beginning of the end? Sounds ominous.”

“Well, you remember I told you, we jump to WWF next year.” When Eddie nodded, Chris continued as he put the car in gear and pointed it in the direction of their hotel. “McMahon ends up buying out WCW.”

Feeling his eyebrows almost hit his hairline in surprise, the Latino stared at him in shock, jaw dropping open when his lover just nodded. “When?”

“2001. A couple months before I broke my neck. They kind of make it look like Shane buys it to compete with Vince or something. It doesn’t really affect us; we leave next year after Souled Out.”

“The rate they’re going with the NWO is making me want to leave _now_.”

“Trust me, I know.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

As May inched steadily closer, Chris had become increasingly worried as he tried to figure out a way to save his friend. Unable to fully concentrate on his workout, he allowed the weights to settle back onto the bar. “What do you think I should say?” he asked, making no immediate move to sit up.

Eddie looked down at his lover from where he’d been spotting Chris and shrugged. “Wish I could tell you, _querido_. When does it happen?”

Sitting up, Chris wiped his face with a towel and sighed. “May twenty-third, during their pay-per-view,” he replied, gracing his lover with a wan smile when the man cringed. “It stuck with me, not just because Owen and I are friends, but because it happened two days after my birthday.” A beat. “You know they won’t even stop the show if it happens again?”

Jaw dropping open in surprise, Eddie felt frozen in place as the gravity of what Chris was telling him sank in. “You- you’re serious?” he managed after several moments of stunned silence. At his lover’s nod, he shuddered in horror. “Why the hell not?”

“I don’t think they ever said honestly. Most likely because they’d have lost money.” Chris was quiet as they made their way out of the hotel gym and headed back to their room. “I mean, I was supposed to head to Europe, after… well, after, and there were rumors they were talking about putting Vickie in some storyline when we returned to the states.”

Making a face behind his lover’s back at the mention of involving Vickie in something after his death, Eddie shook his head. Leave it to Vince McMahon to take advantage of a grieving widow with two young children to support, he thought sourly. Frowning in thought, he sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Chris stripped out of his workout gear. The sight of his lover naked was always a nice sight, and he took a split second to appreciate it as he mulled over what to do. “You can’t just… I don’t know, call him and say hey, make sure you check your rigging?”

Flushing a little under Eddie’s gaze, Chris considered it for a moment. “I mean, that’s basically what I’d say, sure,” he admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck as he thought. “I’m not even supposed to know what they’re planning for him.”

“So you ask.” At Chris’ incredulous look, Eddie shrugged, pulling his own worn shirt over his head, and tossing it in the direction of their bags. “Call him, talk about work, you know and if it comes up, say something about double checking to make sure it’s safe.”

_Why the hell didn’t I think of that?_ Benoit wondered, a little surprised that he hadn’t thought of it first. “That might actually work,” he mused at last, smiling softly at the pleased expression on the Latino’s face. He had to admit, it was nice having Eddie here with him and sober. The first few months had been on the rough side, but so worth it to have the Latino clear headed. Plus, not having multiple concussions a month from doing the headbutt was nice too, he admitted to himself ruefully. “ _Merci, chérie_.”

Standing up, Eddie pulled Chris in for a kiss. “You’re welcome, _mi amor_ ,” he mumbled against his lover’s lips, smiling at the small shiver that wracked the Canadian’s frame.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Staring at the payphone like it might bite him, Chris mentally berated himself as a damn coward. _You can do this,_ he told himself, the long-distance calling card clutched in one hand. He kept flashing to the funeral: Martha barely holding it together, Oje and Athena not really aware of what was happening, Bret and the rest of the Hart clan in a dazed silence. It was the thought of Owen’s kids that finally prompted him to pick up the phone and begin dialing.

_“Hello?”_

Martha’s soft voice jolted him from his thoughts, and he cleared his throat gently. “Hey, Martha, it’s Chris, Chris Benoit. I uh, I hate to bother you but is Owen there?”

_“Oh, hey Chris! Yeah, he’s here, hold on.”_ He heard the phone being set down, followed by her calling for her husband and then footsteps before the phone was picked up again. “ _Benny!”_ Chris had to remind himself to breathe as he heard his friend’s voice for the first time in what was now damn near ten years. “ _How’s it going man?”_

“Not too bad, how’re things with you?”

Owen blew out a frustrated breath into the phone. “ _Man, I’m so ready to get out of WWF,”_ he admitted. “ _Have you seen that dumb gimmick they gave me? I love wrestling man, but this isn’t worth it. Being away from my wife and kids, it just sucks.”_ A beat. “ _Shit, man, I didn’t mean to – “_

“It’s fine, Martina’s moved on and so have I. I’m actually engaged to someone right now.”

“ _That’s great, Benny, really,”_ Owen sounded genuinely thrilled for him. “ _So, what’s up? You hardly ever call me at home.”_

“Nothing really, just hadn’t talked to you in a while, figured I should check in with you.” They talked back and forth for a few minutes before Chris managed to turn the conversation back to wrestling. “I know you have a pay-per-view coming up, what are they doing for your match?”

“ _Fighting the Godfather that night, supposed to win it but they want me to do basically do something like Sting’s doing.”_

There was his opening. “What do you mean?”

Owen huffed in annoyance. “ _They want me to come down from the rafters but basically pretend to get stuck just before I reach the ring. Low enough that when I drop, it’s not going to hurt me but enough to_ _make it look ‘funny.’_ ” His tone was understandably bitter. “ _Think they’re still punishing me for refusing to do the affair angle they wanted.”_

“I told Sting he was crazy for doing it, you know what he told me?”

“ _What’s that?”_

“He said he triple checks all the clips and ropes before every entrance. One time, they tried to use a different clip and when he pulled on it with some force, it popped open like nothing.” Chris silently hoped the story sounded believable, having rehearsed it with Eddie just the other night.

He heard Owen’s sharp intake of breath. “ _Are you serious? That could’ve seriously hurt him or worse.”_ Another beat. “ _Think I should do that too?”_

“I would if I were you,” Chris replied honestly, crossing his fingers, and mentally sending a prayer up that Owen did exactly that. “Then again, knowing me, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to go through with that. Not on a pay-per-view in one of those huge arenas.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Holding Eddie’s hand for dear life, Chris felt sick watching the pay-per-view. Owen’s match was on next, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler speculating on the outcome of the match before it began to fill some airtime. A spotlight found the rafters where the costumed Hart was and Benoit closed his eyes, unable to watch. Eddie was silent beside him for several heartbeats before he gasped, squeezing his hand abruptly. “Chris, baby, look!”

Slowly, reluctantly, he opened his eyes and it took him a moment to comprehend what he was seeing. Owen had apparently taken his advice to heart, checking the rigging, and refused to do it. Instead of coming down from the rafters, he had turned tail and began making his way back down. JR began explaining that there had been some issue with the rigging and the match would begin momentarily. The huge wave of relief almost made Chris want to puke, and he had to concentrate on his breathing for several moments until Hart came out of gorilla and headed towards the ring. Allowing himself to fall backwards onto the bed, he threw one arm over his eyes to hide the tears of relief stinging them.

Laughing in delight as the match went apparently to plan, with Owen scoring the pin fall, Eddie turned and in one movement, straddled his lover’s waist. The movement made Chris move his arm, making him bend down and kissed him roughly, framing Benoit’s face in his hands. “You did, _querido_! You really did it!”

“ _We_ did it,” Chris corrected, smiling crookedly up at him, and revealing the gap where his missing incisor was. “You’re the one who helped come up with that story I told him.” He raised a hand to cover over Eddie’s where it still rested against his face. “Gives me some hope for the future, you know?”

His smile softening a little, Eddie nodded. “Yeah, gives me hope too,” he agreed as he leaned down and kissed him again, their mouths moving together with an easy familiarity. “ _Te quiero,_ my Chris.”

“ _Je t’aime aussi et je serai toujours à toi_ ,” Chris returned easily, the hitch in his lover’s breathing at his French making him smile even wider. “ _Tu es l’amour de ma vie et je ne veux plus jamais être sans toi_.”

_Two can play this little game,_ the Latino thought to himself briefly. “ _Eres el hombre de mis sueños, el amor de mi vida y la otra mitad de mi alma._ ” The heated look in those beloved blue eyes was his only warning as he found himself suddenly on his back, the Canadian atop him and kissing him. The television droned on, forgotten, as they lost themselves in one another.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day, as Chris wound support tape around his wrists in preparation for his match, he looked up when someone approached him. Bret Hart stood in front of him, looking mildly uncomfortable, even though they could be considered if not friends, at least friendly. “Chris.”

“Bret.” Flexing his fingers as he finished, he tossed the tape aside and met his fellow Canadian’s eyes evenly. “You need something?”

“Listen, I don’t know what you said to Owen, but… thanks.” The elder Hart brother swallowed, blowing out a breath. “He called me, after the show, said you talked to him about checking stuff out before that stupid stunt. They didn’t have any kind of safety precautions in place with that rig and he said the clip they wanted to put on him popped open with hardly any pressure.”

Shaking his head in what he hoped was sympathetic disgust, Chris shrugged. “We just got to talking about work and when he brought it up, I told him might be a good idea to check it. You don’t chance it with something like that.”

“Yeah. Anyway, thanks.” Clearing his throat, Bret offered his hand, which Chris shook before he turned on his heel and stalked off. Benoit watched him go for a second before cracking his neck and heading towards gorilla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those too young to remember, the "Fingerpoke of Doom" was an actual event, you can find it on YouTube. Many people point to it as the start of the downfall of WCW, as that episode of Nitro had the lowest ratings in the Monday Night Wars. RAW had a higher rating after Tony Schivone (yes, the same gentleman who is now on AEW) told the audience that Mankind won the title on RAW that night, which caused everyone to switch over to watch the match. It was the beginning of the steady decline in ratings for WCW.
> 
> By the time WCW came to an end, almost everyone was in the NWO and quite a few wrestlers were notoriously unhappy with how things were going.
> 
> Owen did refuse to do an affair story line, not wanting his wife and kids to see that. He was greatly admired for his faithfulness to his wife.
> 
> WWF had ZERO safety precautions in place for Owen, which is part of the reason Martha Hart later sued them for his wrongful death and rightfully so in my opinion. He and Chris were friends, having trained together in Stu Hart's dungeon. On Dark Side of the Ring, she shows the actual clip that they attached to him which WASN'T rated for what it was used for. It was actually a clip for a sailboat, and came apart under only 6 PSI (pressure per square inch). When I watched it, I got goosebumps as she picked it up and barely pulled on it, causing it to pop open. They really did continue the show, and Jim Ross has said he had ten seconds of warning to announce the death of Owen to the TV audience. The blood on the mat of the ring is wrongfully contributed to the fall but was, in fact, Matt Hardy's. 
> 
> Bret Hart said in his autobiography that he'd have talked Owen out of the stunt if he'd been with WWF at the time.
> 
> Vickie was indeed put into a storyline with Edge after Eddie's passing, which I feel possibly contributed to Chris' mental state as he had to go out there and accuse her of various things. I thought it was tacky, personally, because Eddie actually did die.
> 
> Sí, eso es bueno - yeah, that's good
> 
> Je t’aime aussi et je serai toujours à toi - I love you too and I will always be yours
> 
> Tu es l’amour de ma vie et je ne veux plus jamais être sans toi. - You are the love of my life and I never want to be without you again.  
> Eres el hombre de mis sueños, el amor de mi vida y la otra mitad de mi alma - You are the man of my dreams, the love of my life and the other half of my soul


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter, with a little bit of a non-explicit flashback to their first time. References the romance prompt, kisses, which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25076701/chapters/60932071). You don't need to read it to understand what happened though.

Chris jerked awake in the darkness of the hotel room, briefly disoriented as the remnants of his dream faded from his subconscious. The warmth of Eddie’s body beside him coupled with the sound of his even breathing helped to calm him down enough to reign in his breathing and racing heart. _Jesus, fuck,_ he thought to himself, rubbing at his eyes until he saw spots. He hadn’t told the Latino just how badly it had scared him to hear about the car accident, even though it was minimal compared to the time he remembered. He could still remember that one with an acute clarity that time had done nothing to diminish. Was this some kind of sign from the universe that some things were just meant to happen? Granted, the car accident hadn’t been Eddie’s fault this time, and people ran red lights all the time. It had to be just one of those freak coincidence things.

Right?

He couldn’t allow himself to consider that it wasn’t. Looking over at his lover’s sleeping form in the dim light streaming in from the window, he half smiled at the sight. Laying on his stomach, arms crossed under his pillow, the sheets pushed down to his waist revealing the broad back and shoulders, he was sleeping soundly. It was a nice sight, made nicer by the fact that there wasn’t the smell of alcohol coming from him and he wasn’t knocked out by the painkillers Chris could remember him being a slave to. _I should let him sleep,_ he thought a little guiltily as he briefly considered waking the other man, _hell, I should probably go back to sleep._ They had a long drive tomorrow and they both needed the rest.

“You’re thinking so loud it’s waking me up,” Eddie’s voice rumbled, accent thick and rough with sleep, making Chris startle. A small snicker escaped the Latino at the small jump, and he stretched languidly before pushing himself up a little. “What’s wrong _querido_?”

“Nothing,” Benoit denied immediately, briefly distracted by the movement of muscle in his lover’s back as he stretched. Flushing when he met sleepy brown eyes that just looked back at him knowingly, he ducked his head with a small shrug. Even before they’d became lovers, he’d always liked looking at the other man and now, knowing what he knew, he took advantage of being able to both look and touch every available moment. “Just had a nightmare.”

Shifting to his side, he lifted one arm lazily and beckoned Chris over. “Come here,” he mumbled softly, waiting until Benoit moved to lay beside him to pull him closer. “Listen, I’m not going anywhere if we can help it. Not for a long time, yeah?”

Reveling in the comfort only being in Eddie’s arms could bring, Chris nodded slowly, raising one hand to the Latino’s face, and brushing his dark hair from his face. “I know,” he admitted with a small sigh, fingers gently moving down and across his lover’s cheek. “Doesn’t always help the nightmares though.”

“I know, baby.” Smiling a little at the soft touch, he tightened his arms around the other man briefly. “I wish I could take them from you, make it so you don’t have to relive that all the time.”

“It’s not all the time. Sometimes the dreams, they’re kind of… nice,” Chris finally replied, smiling a little at the questioning look in his lover’s eyes. “Sometimes I’ll dream of good things that happened with us. Like that first night, remember?”

Smiling fondly, Eddie nodded. “Well, of course I remember,” he remarked with a small laugh. “You were so nervous, I thought something was wrong with you…”

(1994)

“Alright, what’s wrong with you?”

Chris froze where he stood, hair still damp from the shower he’d just taken and stared at Eddie in confusion. “Nothing,” he offered, mentally rolling his eyes at himself. _Way to go Chris, that was believable._

Eddie clearly felt the same, rolling his eyes dramatically. “ _Sí, claro, no es nada_ ,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, and staring at the Canadian in irritation. “You want to try that again, _ese_? You’ve been acting weird the past few days.” When the other man didn’t answer right away, dropping his gaze and refusing to look at him, he sighed heavily. “I thought we were friends, Chris.”

Head snapping back up, he looked at the Latino defiantly. “Of course we are, you know we are,” Chris replied, hurt creeping into his voice at the insinuation. It was glaringly obvious that Eddie wasn’t going to let this go, however, judging by the look he was getting. This time, it was his turn to sigh heavily, reaching up and rubbing at his neck self-consciously. “Ok, I admit it, I’ve been acting weird even for me.”

“So, you going to tell me why or do I have to drag it out of you?” the Latino questioned, watching his friend fidget nervously. He had noticed a change in Chris a few weeks ago but hadn’t had the chance to confront him privately until now. Whatever it was, it needed to get out in the open between them or it was going to bug the hell out of him. “ _Se queda entre nosotros_. It stays between us. No matter what.”

Chris knew he meant it too. Anything they’d told each other in confidence stayed with them since they’d become friends a couple years ago in Japan. Finally, after several long moments, he blurted out, “You kissed me a couple weeks ago.”

Keeping his jaw from falling open by sheer force of will, Eddie stared at his friend in surprise, blinking owlishly. How drunk had he been that he couldn’t remember that? He wondered for a minute, before dismissing the thought. It had happened, the color in Chris’ cheeks proof enough for him. He didn’t get a chance to say anything before Chris was speaking again.

“And uh, you said something, but I don’t really know what it meant.”

_Oh shit._ “What uh, what did I say, you remember?” the Latino asked, already regretting where this conversation was going. He’d known he was attracted to the other man, even during the early days when they couldn’t stand each other. Lost in thought, he almost missed Chris’ terrible attempt at Spanish.

“I think it was something like… sabes que te amo… verdad?” the Canadian offered, the words having played over and over in his mind. He could’ve probably asked any of the other Mexican American wrestlers on the roster but hadn’t wanted it to get back to Eddie.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ Eddie thought to himself, mentally kicking himself for getting that drunk. Scrubbing a hand through his hair roughly, he turned and sat down on his bed. It was exactly what he’d dreaded it was, he’d confessed his feelings while drunk as fuck and couldn’t remember it to save his life. _Dios, soy un maldito idiota._ He didn’t register Chris approaching him warily until the other man was in arm’s reach of him, looking at him expectantly. “ _Lo siento, ¿qué?”_

Throwing caution to the wind, Benoit knelt down and looked his friend in the eyes. “Eddie, what… what does it mean?” When the Latino hesitated, brown eyes meeting blue, he reached out and placed a hand on Eddie’s knee. “You can tell me.”

“ _Sabes que te amo, verdad,”_ Eddie repeated, the words rolling off his tongue with the ease only a native speaker could accomplish. At Chris’ small nod, he exhaled through his nose in a small huff. “It means, you know I love you, right?”

“You’re my best friend, of course you love me. I love you too, man,” Chris pointed out reasonably, not daring to think it was more than that, regardless of one drunken incident. The sudden headshake made his eyes widen in surprise as it hit him just what Eddie really meant by those words and that kiss. “Eddie…”

“I’ll see if CJ will switch with me –, “He began, his words cutting off with a small, shocked noise as Chris abruptly reached out, snagging a handful of his shirt, and pulled him into a desperate kiss. What started out as awkward quickly became less so as they learned what it was like to actually kiss one another instead of a drunken one-sided kiss. When they broke apart for air, Eddie blinked his eyes open, staring at his friend in surprise. Lips still faintly tingling from the kiss, they stared at each other in surprise for several long moments.

“Was… was that ok?” Benoit finally asked nervously, relaxing his grip on Eddie’s shirt incrementally in an attempt to keep his hand from shaking. He’d be the first to admit he didn’t know what he was doing, having only been with women up until this very moment. Before he could formulate anything else to say, the Latino was pulling him into another kiss, this one softer, gentler as they explored each other’s mouths.

Breathing a little heavier as the second kiss broke, Eddie rested his forehead against Chris’ and the two men looked at each other for a long minute. “Do you want this?” he questioned softly, reaching up with one hand and brushing the tips of his fingers across the Canadian’s cheek. At the slightly confused look in those blue eyes, he elaborated. “Do you want me?”

Temporarily tongue tied, it took several tries for Chris to regain his ability to speak. “I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, feeling his cheeks becoming redder by the second. “I mean, I’ve never – “

“You’ve never been with another man?” Eddie questioned with a small, startled chuckle as Chris turned even redder. “Really?”

Completely red faced, Chris shook his head slowly, their noses brushing together briefly. “Never wanted to until you,” he replied softly, watching Eddie’s expression soften and turn tender. It was true, until he’d met the man in front of him, he’d never looked twice at another male. Pulled from his thoughts as Eddie shifted backwards, he automatically followed without thought, finding himself between the other man’s spread legs on the bed before he was even really aware of moving. 

Smiling at the poleaxed look on Chris’ face, Eddie cupped his face in his hands, pulling him into a soft kiss. “Don’t worry, _mi querido,_ I’ll show you what to do,” he purred, nuzzling against the rough stubble peppering Benoit’s cheek.

(1999)

Smiling at the memory, Eddie leaned in and kissed him softly, their mouths moving together with the ease of familiarity. “You were a pretty fast learner,” he mumbled into the kiss, laughing lowly when Chris looked pleased, if a little embarrassed.

“Had pretty big incentive to be,” Benoit returned, feeling his face heat as his lover’s laugh took on a decidedly sensual tone. He’d never figured out why the Latino could provoke a blush out of him with only a few placed words, a look or a single touch and he’d never admit it, but he actually didn’t mind it so much. Unless they were in public, he mentally amended. Then he definitely minded. “ _Parfois, je pense que l’univers a conspiré pour m’aider à te trouver.”_

The softly whispered French combined with the look of absolute adoration in Chris’ eyes made Eddie melt inside. Whatever he’d done in this life or a past one to earn not only the friendship but the love of this man, he couldn’t figure out but thanked God every day for it. “ _Eres mi regalo de Dios y te amo más cada día.”_

Chris racked his brain, trying his best to figure out what the Latino had said, and he could see the amused gleam in those brown eyes as he did. “I know what some of that meant,” he finally said, getting a small laugh and another brief kiss.

“Doing better than me, I don’t know a word of what you said,” Eddie told him with a grin before translating. “I said, you are my gift from God, and I love you more every day.”

“If anyone’s the gift, it’s you.” Chris sighed contentedly, curling in closer before offering his own translation in a sleepy voice. “Sometimes, I feel like the universe conspired to help me find you.”

“I like that.” Eddie’s voice was soft, running a hand up and down the other mans muscled back gently, earning a contented hum from the Canadian. “ _Te amo mi querido.”_

Smiling drowsily, Chris mumbled a soft, “ _Je t’aime aussi, ma chere.”_ Yawning hugely, a thought occurred to him and he sniffed a little in amusement. “Hey, you should be happy.”

“I am happy,” Eddie pointed out sleepily, yawning himself as he settled down, ready to drift back off to sleep. “But I’ll bite, why?”

“Bischoff gets fired next month.”

Eyes having fallen closed, the Latino opened one curiously. “Like fired, fired or “fired”?” he questioned, full well knowing that sometimes fired didn’t really mean fired in their business.

“I guess fired is the wrong term, but he’s removed from power,” Chris spoke around another yawn, “so we won’t have to deal with him for a while.”

“Good, I can’t stand that stupid _pendejo_ ,” Eddie muttered, closing his eyes, and beginning to drift back off, rousing briefly to tell his lover, “You’re driving first since you woke me up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sí, claro, no es nada - Yeah, sure, it's nothing
> 
> Dios, soy un maldito idiota - God, I'm a fucking idiot
> 
> Pendejo - Asshole
> 
> Ahead, we jump a couple months (Bischoff was fired in September of '99) to January 2000 and the jump from WCW to WWF


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're getting into the good stuff, January 2000 and the jump from WCW to WWF. This was intended to be nice and full of fluff but it became angsty quick fast and in a hurry.

Finding a rare moment alone backstage, Eddie carefully wound the support tape around Chris’ wrists while his lover watched him quietly. “You ready for this again?” he questioned with a small laugh as he finished one and moved to the second.

“It’s an easy match,” Chris dismissed easily, flexing his finished hand as the Latino worked on the other. “You remember what I told you, right?”

Nodding, Eddie tore the tape as he finished the other wrist and tossed it to the side. “ _Si,_ I remember, walk around backstage until I run into Dean and Perry,” he agreed, looping his arms around Chris’ neck and resting their foreheads together. “You be careful tonight, ok?”

“Of course,” Chris agreed with a small smile, resting his arms around his lover’s waist, and sighing contentedly. After tonight, they had just shy of two weeks before their debut on RAW, and they planned to make the most of it. First, a trip to El Paso to see Eddie’s girls for a few days, then to Atlanta and home. He’d already made plans to have his kids join them a few days later for the weekend, but prior to that, they’d have the house to themselves.

“Your wrists ok?” the Latino questioned after several minutes, breaking the comfortable silence they’d fallen into. “No too tight?”

Chris nodded with a small laugh. “They’re fine. You going to valet for me anytime you don’t have a match now?” he teased softly, getting an amused eyeroll in return.

One of Eddie’s hands dipped down from their place along Chris’ shoulders, trailing teasingly down his lover’s chest and abs. “Don’t think you’d like my idea of being your valet,” he mused, grinning wickedly at the gasp his motions provoked. “I can certainly think of better things to do than just tape your wrists and be eye candy.”

Grabbing his lover’s hand before it went any further, Chris shook his head even as his cheeks turned pink. “We don’t have time for anything like that,” he pointed out, squeezing the hand in his in gentle warning. “And I’m not walking down that ramp with an obvious erection, so quit it.”

Laughing, Eddie acquiesced with a small nod, tilting his head, and capturing Chris’ lips in a slow kiss. “Ok, _querido,_ no more teasing. At least, not for now,” he promised, extricating his hand and returning it to where the other rested against his lover’s neck. “ _Te queiro mi querido.”_

_“Je t’aime aussi,”_ Chris returned with an easy smile, momentarily basking in his lover’s presence. Looking back, it was things like this he regretted not doing the first time around. These little stolen moments together, away from prying eyes, and just being together with no other expectations than each other’s presence. Eddie’s eyes were warm as they looked at him, clear, bright, and shining and the sight was almost enough to take his breath away. _God, this time I hope I can always show you how much you mean to me,_ he thought to himself, pulling the other man in for another kiss.

The knock at the door followed by one of the backstage crew calling a five-minute warning broke them apart. “That’s your cue, _mi amo_ ,” Eddie whispered softly, smiling a little as he got another brief kiss. “As much as I love kissing you, you need to go before I do something naughty.” Chuckling to himself as Chris turned almost as red as his tights, he stepped back, his hands dropping from Benoit’s shoulders. “Go kick some ass, and then come back to me.”

One last quick kiss, followed by a soft, “I love you,” and Chris was out the door, heading towards gorilla. Eddie watched him go for a moment, smiling to himself before he went on his own mission. Normally, when one of them was in a match, the other would be watching the monitors but tonight was different. Chris hadn’t said where exactly he ran into Dean and Perry, having been too busy wrestling, so it was up to him. Cracking his knuckles, he began wandering around aimlessly, pushing any worry for his lover out of his mind.

About what he mentally guessed was halfway through the match, Eddie turned a corner and found Perry and Dean walking towards him. _“¡Hola amigos! ¿Qué pasa?”_ he called to the other men as they approached.

“We’re quitting,” Dean told him point blank, gesturing to himself and Perry.

Even after almost three years, it sometimes still surprised Eddie when things Chris mentioned came to pass and he privately admitted this was one of those moments. Maybe he owed his lover an apology for still doubting him. The other men were looking at him a little expectantly, so he just shrugged casually. “Ok, I’m coming too,” he agreed, turning, and falling into step with his friends.

Later that evening, lying in bed together, Eddie frowned slightly at the faraway look on his lover’s face. He acknowledged it had to bother his lover, going through being the world champ a second time and having to relinquish it _again_. “You ok?” he finally ventured to ask, brushing his fingers along Chris’ cheek and watching as his lover blinked and focused on him.

“Yeah.” Benoit sighed heavily, forcing a wan smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “I was just thinking.”

The Latino hummed thoughtfully. “You want to talk about it?” he asked, turning to his side, and running a hand down his lover’s side, and twining their fingers together.

“Just stuff that’s going to happen in the next couple of years,” came the reply moments later, the fingers laced with Eddie’s tightening slightly before relaxing again. He was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking again. “Your first match on SmackDown, you need to be careful.”

Propping himself on his elbow, he looked down at Benoit inquiringly. “What, I get hurt or something?”

Clearing his throat with a small cough, Chris nodded. “Yeah, you hurt your elbow doing your frog splash, I think you land on it wrong. So, just be careful, ok?” At Eddie’s nod, he half smiled. “You know I never like seeing you get hurt.”

“I don’t like seeing you hurt either,” Eddie pointed out in return, laying back down and moving in closer to the other man’s body heat. “It’s happened a lot less since you stopped doing that headbutt.”

“I know, and I’ll admit, it’s been nice not having so many concussions.” When his lover turned to look at him, Chris couldn’t help but look a little sheepish. “By the time you uh, well, I… might’ve lost count?”

Feeling borderline murderous, he narrowed his eyes in a glare at his lover. “You lost count.” A small nod was his only response. Releasing the hand in his, he promptly smacked Chris in the chest, causing the Canadian to wince and look at him in offense. _“¡Qué diablos!”_

“I know, I know,” he began only to be cut off by an angry barrage of Spanish.

_“¿Qué te pasaba? Eso es lo que obtienes por hacer ese maldito cabezazo. ¿Sabes lo estúpido que es que perdiste la cuenta de todas las conmociones cerebrales_?” Eddie snapped in irritation, moving to his back to cross his arms over his chest. “ _Te amo pero a veces eres tan idiota_.”

There was a brief silence from the Canadian before he spoke again. “I knew you’d be mad,” he admitted, sitting up and looking over at the fuming Latino. The dark look he got indicated that ‘mad’ was a bit of an understatement for how the other man was currently feeling. “That was why I didn’t fight you on giving up the headbutt.”

Well. That helped improve his mood a bit but still… “How many times did you wrestle with one?” Eddie asked, narrowing his eyes again when Chris went to answer. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”

“Honestly, I really don’t remember,” he answered after a moment of racking his brain, running a hand over his head, and scrubbing at it briefly. “More than I should have, I know that now. I’m trying to change that this time.” He blew out a breath. “I think they were starting to affect me pretty badly; I just couldn’t figure out what was going on.”

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked warily, moving his arms, and slowly sitting up beside his lover who was pointedly not looking at him. “Chris?

“I didn’t even tell you about this when it happened,” he began, still unable to look at his friend and lover. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly as he thought back. “This was 2003, I want to say, so before… everything. I don’t even really remember what Nancy and I were arguing about, but I pushed her into the island in the kitchen. I think I might’ve actually put my hand around her throat.” Tears stung his eyes as he recalled the fearful look she’d given him, right before throwing him out of the house and filing for divorce days later. “I barely remember doing it, Eddie, and you know me. I’d never raise my hand to a woman, _never._ ”

Reaching out, the Latino hesitated for a split second before laying his hand on the tensed muscle of Chris’ shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he questioned softly, rubbing gently across the broad shoulder beneath his hand.

“Fear? Shame? Confusion? Anger? I don’t really know. I was just so mad at myself and I knew you’d be disappointed with me.” Chris swallowed hard, reaching up and placing his hand over Eddie’s on his shoulder. “We worked through it, she and I, but things were never really the same after. I tried my best to make it right, I really did, it just wasn’t enough I don’t think.”

“Chris, baby, look at me,” Eddie implored and after several moments, Chris turned to him cautiously. “I know you, and that wasn’t you. Physically, yes, but mentally? No way, that’s not the Chris I know and love.”

A watery sounding chuckle escaped Benoit. “You still love me after me telling you that?” he queried, only half joking, giving voice to one of his biggest fears: that of losing Eddie’s love and respect.

“ _Mi amo,_ there’s nothing you could do that would make me stop loving you,” the Latino whispered softly, wrapping his free arm around the other man, and pulling him close. “Besides, that’s not happening this time. You’re working so hard to make things right, not just for us but for Nancy too.”

“Yeah.” Leaning into his lover’s steadfast presence gratefully, he slowly began to relax under Eddie’s touch. “I don’t want to think what might’ve happened if I’d kept going like that,” he mumbled, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder. His unspoken implication made Eddie shiver, making Chris look up. “I’m sorry, are you cold?”

Unable or unwilling to voice his actual thoughts, the Latino simply nodded. Releasing Chris as his lover grabbed the blankets and pulled them up around the two of them before he was pulled back into Benoit’s arms. _Jesus Christ, Chris,_ he thought to himself, burrowing into the other man, finding himself for the first time in forever at a loss for words. _My poor querido, how long have you been holding this inside?_

“Is this better?”

“ _Si, gracias,”_ Eddie agreed with a small nod, smiling briefly when Chris brushed a kiss across his forehead. He remained lying there silently, listening as his lover’s breathing deepened and evened out in sleep. With a small sigh, he moved in closer until he could just hear the steady drum of the Canadian’s heart and allowed it to lull him to sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eddie stepped out of the car into the Texas heat, shutting the car door behind him and made his way to the front door. Vickie answered a moment later, stepping back to let him inside. “Hey,” he greeted a little awkwardly as he moved into the foyer. “How’s things going?”

“Fine.” An uncomfortable silence. “You left WCW?”

“ _Si_ , we’ll be going on RAW in a couple weeks, Dean, Perry, Chris and I,” he agreed, trying not to flinch as her expression became stony at the mention of his lover. “Are you and the girls okay, though? You need anything?”

“We’re alright.” A beat. “He didn’t come with you?”

A small headshake. “He’s at the hotel, he didn’t think you or the girls wanted to see him,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. “Where’s the girls?”

“Upstairs.” With that, Vickie walked off, her entire demeanor screaming that she wanted to be left alone.

Taking the hint, Eddie headed up to go see his daughters. Shaul’s door was closed, but Sherilyn’s was open and she looked up from her book when he tapped on the doorframe. “Hey, _cariño_.”

“Hi dad.” She made no move to come greet him with hugs and kisses like she normally would, just looked at him a little sadly. “How’re you?”

“I’m good, baby. I’ll be able to see you and Shaul more, we’re going to WWF in a couple weeks,” he told her as he came inside, sitting down on her bed. “How’s school?”

“It’s alright.” Sherilyn was quiet for a minute, picking absently at her comforter. “I knew about you and Chris, but I didn’t think…”

Freezing, Eddie blinked at her in astonishment. _What_? “You knew,” he stated, eyes widening a little when she nodded. “How?”

“I um, I saw you two kissing once,” she admitted after a moment, shrugging at his startled look. “Before…”

_Before I died._ “Sheri…,” he began, trying and failing to find the words. To him, she was an eight-year-old girl, but he knew she was actually older and remembered everything up to his passing and just beyond. “I want you to know, I didn’t mean to hurt you, your sister or your _madre_ , but I have and I’m sorry.”

“Then why?” Shaul’s voice made him turn, his eldest daughter standing in the door of her sister’s room, glaring daggers at him. “Why’d you choose him instead of us?”

Tamping down his temper by sheer force of will, Eddie rose to his feet and met her confrontational gaze with one of his own. “Shaul…”

“No! I want to know why, what makes him so damn special that you’d break up our family!” she demanded, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The look in her father’s eyes made her quake inside, recalling just how bad his temper could get, but she didn’t care. “ **I** was the one who figured out how to bring you back and then you go do this! I hate him! I hate you! I wish I’d never done it!”

He vaguely heard Sherilyn’s horrified gasp as he watched Shaul turn on her heel and run back to her room crying, slamming the door behind her.

“Eddie.” He blinked and Vickie was standing in front of him, looking sad but resigned. “I’ll talk to her but for now, maybe you should try tomorrow.”

Nodding, he turned to Sherilyn, who was watching him with tears in her eyes. “ _Te amo hija,”_ he muttered, turning away before she could respond and leaving, brushing past Vickie without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qué diablos! - What the hell!
> 
> ¿Qué te pasaba? Eso es lo que obtienes por hacer ese maldito cabezazo. ¿Sabes lo estúpido que es que perdiste la cuenta de todas las conmociones cerebrales? - What was wrong with you? That's what you get for doing that headbutt. Do you know how stupid it is that you lost count of all the concussions?
> 
> Te amo pero a veces eres tan idiota - I love you, but sometimes you're such an idiot
> 
> cariño - sweetheart
> 
> According to Dark Side of the Ring, Chris did admit to losing count of the amount of concussions he'd suffered, and I can just imagine Eddie being PISSED at him for that. 
> 
> The incident Chris refers to between he and Nancy actually happened, and she did briefly file for divorce in 2003 before they reconciled. I often wonder how things might have been different if they'd split then. I don't know if he and Eddie ever talked about it, but in this story they didn't until now.
> 
> Obviously, Shaul doesn't mean the things she says but she's very hurt, very upset and lashing out.


	12. Chapter 11

A few days later, Chris hesitated as he packed his bag, looking over at an obviously morose Eddie. “We can stay a couple more days if you want,” he offered, one of his shirts hanging limply in his hands. The Latino had tried every day they were in El Paso to go see his daughters, but only Sherilyn had been willing to spend any time with him. Shaul had steadfastly refused to see him, going straight to her room without even looking in his direction. “You know I don’t mind.”

Sighing heavily, Eddie shook his head. “No, it’s alright, _querido_ ,” he replied, forcing a small smile in his lover’s direction. “I just want to go home, you know?”

_Home._ The word resonated in Chris’ head and he fought back the smile that wanted to escape as his lover referred to his – their, he mentally corrected – their house outside of Atlanta. He hadn’t seen it yet, having contacted Nancy who’d found it and set everything up for him. He half wondered if it was the same house they’d bought together, if he was going to have a bizarre sense of déjà vu walking inside. They’d already overnighted most of Eddie’s belongings so now it was just a matter of getting on the plane and leaving. “You sure?” he ventured one last time, hating just how upset the other man obviously was.

“I’m sure,” the Latino’s voice was soft but sure. It killed him how upset Shaul was with him, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Not unless he left Chris and remarried Vickie, but that would just cause more problems than it would solve. Vickie had admitted to talking to an old boyfriend, nothing serious yet, but she was clearly beginning to move on. Things could only get better, even though it would take time. Shaul would forgive him, eventually. He hoped.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Stepping out of the car, Eddie looked over the house with raised eyebrows. “Little big for just you and me, don’t you think?” he asked with a laugh, turning his attention to Chris who looked a little surprised. “Chris?”

“It’s the same house,” Benoit remarked aloud, gazing over the façade in shock. Some things were different, the color a pale cream instead of the blue Nancy had chosen, but he could still recall their excitement over buying it. Shaking his head to clear it, he smiled crookedly at Eddie. “Come on, let’s go inside, I’ll show you around.”

Following his lover, Eddie looked around curiously. The yard was huge, a privacy fence erected around the entirety of the property, along with a gate and call box. _The girls will love this,_ he thought to himself with a brief stab of pain. _Whenever Shaul deigns to forgive me anyway._ He had to wonder what Chris was feeling, as he obviously recognized the place. He’d said it was the same house, and Eddie wondered just what that meant. Was this the same one he’d shared with Nancy during their marriage? He almost asked when the woman in question opened the door with a small wave.

“Hey guys!” she gushed, and they both had to blink a couple of times to register what they were seeing. Nancy was heavily pregnant, one hand resting on her stomach. “You like it?”

“It’s great,” Chris managed after several seconds, still unable to comprehend what he was seeing. “I um, congratulations?”

Smiling, she looked down at her stomach fondly. “You know, I always wanted to be a mom,” she told him, running a hand over the curve in a gentle motion. “So, I said, screw it, I don’t have to be married to be one! But anyway, you guys don’t want to hear about that. Come inside, let me show you what I picked out for you and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

Sharing a look, the two men followed her inside as she babbled on about how she and her sister had worked with an interior decorator. “You two didn’t have any kids right?” Eddie asked softly, low enough so only Chris could hear him.

“No, she wanted them, but I didn’t,” Chris whispered back with a small head shake as she pointed towards the basement door where she informed them they’d had a home gym set up for them. It was still weird seeing the woman he’d married obviously pregnant and happier than he could recall her being with him. For all that he was genuinely happy for her, it was still bittersweet to see.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I just had the UPS guy put Eddie’s boxes in the living room,” Nancy said a tad apologetically as they made their way in that direction. “Not like I’m in any condition to take them upstairs.”

Eddie waved her off. “No, no, it’s fine, you don’t need to be lifting anything in your condition,” he pointed out reasonably, getting a beatific smile out of her. “We can do that later.”

“Ok, well, I’m going to head out. I have a serious craving for a filet o’ fish,” she told them, hugging Chris even as she laughed at the disgusted face they both made. “Did you still want me to check in on the place when you go back on the road?”

Chris shrugged awkwardly. “Only if it’s not too much trouble, I know you’re going to have your hands full soon,” he remarked, gesturing vaguely to her belly.

“It’ll be fine, Sandy’s going to help,” She dismissed, turning, and giving Eddie a short hug as well. “I’ve got a spare key, yours are in the kitchen on the island.” With a final wave, she was gone moments later.

Hearing the door close behind her, Eddie turned to Chris. “I don’t know about you, _querido_ , but that was one of the most uncomfortable half hours of my life so far,” he said with a small laugh.

“No kidding.” Benoit exhaled heavily, shaking off the memories assaulting him as he looked around. God, it was so strange being in this house again. There were no dogs barking and demanding his attention, and he was here alone with Eddie in what was now their house instead of his and Nancy’s. His lover was watching him curiously, clearly wondering what was on his mind. “It’s just… weird, being back in this house,” he offered at last, looking around.

“I can imagine,” the Latino responded, though he honestly knew he’d never understand completely. Deciding to break up some of the uneasiness still present in the Canadian, he grinned suddenly. “What do you say we go break that pool in, huh?” When the other man turned beet red and couldn’t meet his eyes, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”

“I was recovering from neck surgery and Nancy called you to stay with me because she was going to see her parents in Daytona,” Chris began, feeling his cheeks heat even more. “We had three full days to ourselves and got a little carried away. Wasn’t just the pool either.”

Well now, _that_ was interesting. “Oh yeah?” he queried, taking a step into his lover’s personal space. “Where else?”

Glancing at him briefly, Chris averted his gaze again at the heated look in those brown eyes. “It’s more like where didn’t we have sex,” he offered after a momentary pause, finally looking at him. The surprised look on the Latino’s face made him lift one shoulder in a shrug. “You were newly sober, and I was going a little stir crazy not being able to do much, so. Yeah. You don’t know how hard it was to act like we hadn’t been having sex for three straight days when she got back."

Laughing loudly, Eddie pulled him into a short kiss. “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about that this time,” he mused, smiling when Chris shook his head in fond exasperation at him. Taking his lover’s hand in his, he squeezed gently before releasing him and turning towards the boxes of his things. “Come on, let’s get this stuff upstairs before we do anything else.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Staring out the bedroom window which overlooked the sparkling blue pool in the back yard as night began to fall, Eddie sighed to himself. It was killing him, being at odds with his daughters, even as he was happier than he could recall being. It was a wonderful thing, being sober and not necessarily having to hide when he and Chris meant to each other at last, living together full time whether on the road or at home. They still kept things fairly tame backstage and had agreed that it was probably for the best, especially once the jump to WWF was completed.

Sherilyn seemed like she at least _wanted_ to understand, having asked a couple questions about his relationship with Chris. He’d answered as best he could without too much detail, and she’d slowly begun coming around. At least she spoke with him on the phone when he called to give her the number here at the house, unlike Shaul who’d refused to come to the phone. _God, baby girl, I hope you know how much this is killing me,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes briefly in pain. He loved them both to death, but Shaul was his first born, his little princess. He could still see her acting out Snow White for hours on end, singing and dancing around the house, sharing cheesecake together with him and laughing.

He knew she didn’t mean the things she’d said, knew she was hurt, angry and lashing out but it didn’t take the sting of those words away. He could only hope that one day, she’d understand what it meant to love someone so much that not being with them wasn’t an option. He felt more than saw or heard Chris’ presence in their room, his footfalls muffled by the thick carpeting. “Hey _querido_.”

“Hey.” Approaching cautiously, Benoit reached out and placed a hand on Eddie’s shoulder softly, thumb moving back and forth a couple of times. “You want to talk about it?”

“Was just thinking about Shaul,” he admitted with another heavy sigh, reaching up and placing his hand atop Chris’, lacing their fingers together lightly. They were silent for a minute as Eddie considered his next words carefully. “I know she’s upset, I understand it, but I don’t like it.”

“I don’t like it either,” Chris told him, gently squeezing the fingers in his keeping. “She’s your baby, I see how badly it’s hurting you not talking to her.”

“She doesn’t understand, that as badly as she’s hurting right now, I’d be hurting even worse to be away from you.” He met the Canadian’s eyes in the reflection of the glass. “In the meantime, I can only try to be there for her, you know? As much as she’ll let me anyway.”

“That’s all you can do for now.” A beat. “David and Megan aren’t coming this weekend.”

Startled, Eddie turned automatically. “Why not?”

“Supposed to snow really bad up in Edmonton, they’re talking about grounding all flights out of precaution.” He shrugged awkwardly at the sympathetic look from his lover. “It’ll be fine, we’ll work something out.”

“ _Lo siento mi amor,_ I know how much you were looking forward to seeing them,” Eddie stated, pulling the other man into a hug before a thought occurred to him. “This happen the first time too?”

“I went to see them by myself last time, and you went to El Paso.” Chris laughed lightly as he reminisced. “Almost didn’t make it back in time for our debut due to the snow.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about that here,” the Latino offered, grateful for the fact that they were living somewhere snow was a rarity. He hated the cold weather, disliking going anywhere the temperature dropped low enough for things like sleet, ice, or snow. He shivered just thinking about it. “I don’t know how you lived up there for so long.”

Smiling, Benoit shrugged. “It’s really not that bad when you’re used to it,” he remarked absently, shaking his head at the disbelieving look his lover offered him. “And you do realize we’re going up there to get married, right?”

“ _Si,_ but we’re not _staying_ up there.” Silence. “Are we?”

“No, we aren’t moving to Canada. I doubt we’ll be the first or the last people to go up there to get married.” He looked at Eddie quietly for several moments, expression softening. “You going to be alright?”

After a long minute, the Latino nodded slowly. “I think so,” he agreed with a smile which turned mischievous a second later as he tugged his hand from the Canadian’s and went to move towards their bed. “You know, I don’t think we’ve broken in the bed yet.”

“Oh, well, I think we can remedy that,” Chris replied, waiting until Eddie was taking his shirt off before bodily picking him up and tossing him onto the bed. The startled yelp the movement elicited made him laugh even as he quickly followed. Within moments, he found himself on his back with the now bare-chested Latino pinning him down and glaring playfully.

“That wasn’t very nice, _corazón mío_ ,” he scolded, brown eyes dancing as they looked down at his amused lover. “Whatever am I going to do with you?”

Smiling wide enough to reveal his missing incisor, Chris shrugged as best he could with the Latino holding his arms above his head. “You’re the one who always says he’s got ideas, so why don’t you show me?”

“Oh, I’ll show you, don’t you worry,” Eddie promised him with a wicked grin, leaning down and drawing him into a long, slow kiss. “I’ll show you all night long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Sandra Toffoloni (Nancy's sister) on Talk is Jericho, when Nancy was pregnant with Daniel, her biggest craving was McDonald's filet o' fish sandwich. This apparently drove Chris insane, as he was absurdly careful about anything he ate and would read labels obsessively. 
> 
> Vickie actually interviewed Shaul for her podcast, Excuse Me!, and on it, Shaul admitted her favorite movie as a child was Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs and she would spend HOURS preforming various scenes from it for her parents and anyone who came over. Vickie said one of Eddie's friends told him once that as long as there was beer in the fridge, he'd sit there for however long she wanted and let her act out the movie haha.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains a reference to Khylara's story, [The Reminder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1819267). Don't need to read it to understand anything in this chapter but recommended on general principle ;) She writes amazing Benerrero fics.
> 
> Also references the romance prompt short Teasing, which can be found in my Romance Prompts Benerrero story.

This had to be the best part of being home, Eddie thought to himself as he and Chris lay in bed together, making out like they were teenagers again. They had nowhere to go and nowhere to be, no pressing responsibilities that couldn’t wait. Hands roamed all over each other, seeking out little known erogenous zones, their gasps and soft moans intermingling as they explored one another leisurely. There was no one to overhear them, and definitely no one almost walking in on them. The feel of teeth scraping along his neck made him moan loudly in surprise, arching into his lover’s body with a desperate whine. “Chris,” he gasped out, feeling the other man’s smirk against his skin.

Soothing the gentle love bite with his tongue, Chris lifted his head enough to meet the aroused brown eyes of his lover. “Eddie,” he breathed, watching the small shudder that wracked his lover’s frame. “You want something?”

“You,” the Latino breathed, reaching out with both hands, and pulling him close, capturing his lover’s mouth in a kiss. “Always you.”

“You have me,” Chris promised as he brought a hand up to Eddie’s face, brushing stray strands of dark hair back. “You’ll always have me. _Je serai toujours à toi, tout comme tu seras toujours à moi_.”

Smiling, Eddie kissed him again. “What did I do to deserve you?” he wondered aloud, shaking his head ruefully when his lover blushed pink at the comment. “I’m serious, I look at you and see how lucky, how blessed I am to have you.”

Chris was quiet for so long that the Latino began to wonder if maybe he’d upset him somehow. “You saw me,” he finally said with a brief faraway look in his eyes before he blinked and came back to the present. “You didn’t just see my ring skills, what I could give you, or what I could do for you, but _me._ Once we got to know each other, I swear that I looked at you one day and thought, _there you are_.”

Barely able to breathe, Eddie stared at his lover for several long seconds, overcome with emotion. “Chris…”

Looking a little uncomfortable in the wake of his confession, he nevertheless continued on. “Everyone likes to talk about soulmates and such, but I didn’t really believe it until you. Meeting you, even though at first we couldn’t stand each other, it was like a piece of me I didn’t know was missing fell into place. Once we became friends, it was even more apparent, but it was still like something wasn’t connecting all the way.” He took a deep breath. “Then that first night together, making love to you, seeing that look on your face… everything came into hyper focus all at once and I understood at last: I’d finally found my missing piece in you.”

Feeling himself beginning to tear up, the Latino pulled him into another kiss, pouring all the love and affection he could into it. _My god Chris, and you think you aren’t good with words,_ he marveled as they kissed, tongues twining around and together. _Where have you been hiding all of this?_ Breaking the kiss to breathe, he stared at Benoit in silent admiration. “I love you, so much,” he managed, blinking in an unsuccessful attempt not to cry.

“I love you too,” Chris returned, lifting a hand, and brushing a tear away with his thumb. “Please don’t cry.”

“You say those wonderful things and expect me not to cry?” Eddie choked out with a wet chuckle as his lover turned even redder. “And you say you’re no good with words. What brought all this on?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,” He admitted honestly, “I _know_ that I didn’t tell you these things last time and you deserved to hear them, every day, every time you and I were together. But I didn’t tell you. Then, when everything happened, one of my biggest regrets was not having told you all these things when you were still with me. So, I wanted to tell you now.”

“My Chris, you mean so much to me, you know that?” When Benoit nodded, the Latino smiled, reaching out and running a hand down his lover’s arm and grabbing his hand in his and briefly squeezing. “I’ve never once doubted how much I meant to you, not just during this time. I’m sure of it. Just because you didn’t show me all the time doesn’t mean I didn’t know. You show me in the way you look at me, the way you touch me, kiss me. I never wanted you to change, not once, not for anything in the world.”

“I know you don’t, didn’t, whatever.” He gave a small laugh at the same time as Eddie. “But you deserve for me to say these things to you and so much more.” When he spoke again, his voice was wavery with emotion. “I’m just sorry it took me losing you to realize that.”

“Come here, _mi media narnja,_ ” Eddie coaxed, pulling Chris close and wrapping his arms around him tightly and kissing him soundly. “I love you so much, you know that?”

Smiling shyly, Chris nodded. “I love you too,” he replied softly, “even though I have no idea what you just called me.”

“It means my better half,” he whispered against Chris’ lips, smiling widely when his lover flushed an embarrassed, but pleased, red. Throwing one leg over Benoit’s hip, he rolled his hips pointedly, silently reveling in the aroused gasp he earned for his efforts. “ _Te deseo, mi amor_.”

With a low growl, Chris moved without another word, pushing Eddie onto his back, and settling in between his lover’s thighs. “Do you have any idea what that does to me?” he questioned, burying his face in Eddie’s neck briefly as the change in position caused them to rock against one another.

Grinning wickedly, he waited until Chris looked up again, blue eyes hot with desire. “Why don’t you show me,” he panted, bringing his hands up to his lover’s face and drawing him in for another kiss. Whimpering into his lover’s mouth as they moved against each other, his hands fell to Benoit’s shoulders, blunt nails raking over them as pleasure coursed through his veins. “God yes, just like that.”

Within minutes, they came together, breathing heavily. Supporting himself on shaking arms, Chris looked down at an equally wrecked Eddie with dazed eyes. “Damn,” he finally managed, getting a small laugh and a nod from the Latino. Moving off to the side, he flopped back down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling for a second before turning his head and finding his lover watching him. “Next time we have days off, we’re spending at least one just like this.”

Nodding, Eddie shifted and found one of their shirts they’d discarded earlier and cleaned the both of them up best he could. “Definitely worth a repeat,” he agreed, snickering when Chris flushed and tossing the shirt in the general direction of the laundry basket. “ _Sólo que la próxima vez te quiero dentro de mí.”_

“You’re trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you,” Benoit muttered with a minute head shake, smiling crookedly when Eddie just shrugged and curled up beside him, throwing an arm over his chest. “ _Je t’aime, mon cher.”_

That got an amused snort from Eddie. “Now who’s trying to drive who crazy,” he grumbled without heat, smiling against Chris’ chest at the rumble of laughter he could feel. “ _Te amo mi querido.”_

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“So, what all happens this year that I might need to know about?” Eddie questioned later as they sat eating dinner.

Chris finished chewing the bite of food in his mouth as he thought back to what he could remember. “What do you want to know?” he finally settled on asking, taking a sip of water as he waited for his lover’s answer. “Title wins, storylines, what?”

Shrugging, the Latino speared a bite of pasta on his fork. “Whatever you remember. I take it we don’t last too long as the radicals?”

Benoit shook his head. “No. It’s not a big deal when we split, it’s pretty quiet all things considered. If I remember right, this summer you team up with Chyna.” Off Eddie’s look, he shrugged. “She becomes your on-screen girlfriend, your… what was the word? Mamacita?” 

Sputtering into his drink, Eddie looked at him incredulously. “You can’t be serious,” he choked, staring in surprise when Chris just looked back at him evenly. “I can’t imagine you or Vickie took that too well.”

“You two were just friends. Besides, she’s with Triple H right now,” he pointed out reasonably, getting another startled look. “What?”

“Isn’t he with _la princessa?”_ When Chris looked at him in confusion, he elaborated, “Vince’s daughter?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t really pay that much attention to that. Things were getting a little rough with you personally, so honestly I was more worried about you than any of that,” Benoit admitted, ducking his head, and staring down at his plate. “And then there was the whole thing with my neck, you going to rehab, and then you later getting fired.”

“Fired?” Eddie repeated in surprise, dropping his fork with a loud clatter, and making Chris look up. “What do you mean, fired?”

“Well, that shouldn’t happen this time since you’re sober _now._ You were getting ready to come back on TV, doing some house shows and events, that’s how you were able to come stay with me for a couple days like we talked about the other day. And then you were arrested for DWI in November.” A heavy sigh from the Canadian as he thought back. “You came back in April of ’02 and I joined you a couple days later.”

“Yeah, that isn’t happening again,” the Latino stated firmly, reaching out and grabbing one of Chris’ hands in his. “I promise you that.”

Smiling bashfully, Chris squeezed his lover’s hand gently and meeting his eyes. “I know,” he agreed softly, running his thumb across Eddie’s knuckles. “You and Chavo form a tag team that year, even win the titles together as Los Guerreros.”

That perked Eddie right up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, you two actually face off with me and Kurt Angle at Survivor Series.” That obviously reminded him of something, as he turned red and dropped his gaze. “Which uh, that resulted in you getting pretty jealous. He got kind of… touchy with me and while I didn’t like it, I went with it for the storyline but you… well…” Glancing up at his lover who was watching him curiously, he turned even redder. “We… might’ve had sex backstage in one of the empty trainer’s rooms during after that match.”

Blinking at him in silence for several seconds, the Latino struggled for words. “I’m a little surprised you went for that,” he settled on saying at last. Having sex backstage where anyone could hear or walk in on them? That had only happened one time before, during their ECW days when he’d deliberately teased Chris during a match, only to get almost fucked into the wall of an arena shower. They still owed Dean for being their lookout without them asking.

“I kind of owed it to you. Hunter mentioned we were on the shortlist for ‘mania twenty, the one I told you about? So, whenever you and I were backstage or around anyone really, I was being more withdrawn than I ordinarily would have been.” His grip around Eddie’s fingers tightened momentarily. “I shouldn’t have been, especially with you just coming back and everything but I didn’t want to jeopardize our chance.”

“I get it.” When Chris at him in surprise, he shrugged. “Mind you, it hasn’t happened yet for me, but I get where you were coming from.” A beat. “Don't like it, though, and I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again, but I get it.”

“I’d be good with that.” Realizing what he’d said, Benoit turned almost purple in mortification as Eddie laughed loudly.

“So, what else do I need to know, huh?” Eddie questioned, grabbing his glass.

Thinking for a minute, the Canadian started laughing just as his lover took another drink. “You want to hear about Mae Young giving birth to a hand?”

Eddie promptly spit water all over the table in horror.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

As they exited Pittsburgh International Airport and got into their rental car, Eddie looked over at Chris as the other man got in the passenger seat. “You were kidding about that hand thing right?” he asked as he clicked his seat belt in place and started the car.

“God, I wish I was kidding.” Benoit shuddered in disgust, recalling how he and Eddie had watched it backstage and recalled the other man saying it was like watching a train wreck. You knew it was going to be horrible, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away. “Trust me, it only gets worse. Just wait until Triple H has to pretend to sleep with a corpse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Mae Young really did "give birth" to a rubber hand. Frankly, if I didn't know about it, it would make me choke so I can only too easily imagine Eddie spitting water everywhere when Chris mentions it.
> 
> It's not mentioned as it was VERY controversial at the time (for good reason!), but google the Katie Vick storyline. YIKES. That's all I'm going to say.
> 
> Je serai toujours à toi, tout comme tu seras toujours à moi - I will always be yours, just like you will always be mine.
> 
> mi media narnja - literally, my half orange. used as an endearment meaning my better half or my other half.
> 
> Te deseo, mi amor - I desire you, my love
> 
> Sólo que la próxima vez te quiero dentro de mí - Only next time, I want you inside me
> 
> la princessa - the princess


	14. Chapter 13

_“Hey, so I had an idea!”_

Chris pulled the cellphone away from his ear briefly, making a confused face for a second before bringing it back. “Nancy?”

“ _Yeah, hey! Everything’s fine at the house, don’t worry, that’s not why I’m calling.”_

Even more confused, Benoit nodded though she couldn’t see it. “That’s good, I guess. Everything alright with you?”

_“I’m officially done with being pregnant. I can’t wait until April.”_ A beat, and he could hear the sound of cutlery against porcelain. “ _Other than that, I’m good. Back to my idea: you and Eddie should get a power of attorney agreement for each other.”_

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

_“It’s a legal document that says for example, if one of you gets hurt, you can make a decision for him regarding care and vice versa. Also means that they can’t stop either of you from being present in those kinds of situations.”_ Her voice softened a little. “ _Like if that car accident had been worse, you might not have been able to be there with him, you know?”_

Recalling with an acute clarity just how badly things could’ve been Chris shuddered. “Yeah,” he finally settled on saying, knowing he couldn’t follow up with the knowledge that he was all too aware of how he’d had to fight tooth and nail to see Eddie the first time. “That’s a good idea, Nancy, thank you.” He was quiet for a minute as she babbled on about how she’d find the right forms and fax them to the hotel they were staying at. “You know you don’t have to do any of this for us, right?”

She trailed off and got so quiet, if not for hearing her breathing, he’d wonder if maybe she’d hung up or something. “ _I know I don’t,”_ she admitted, and he could hear her walking around her house. “ _But you guys have been really good friends to me, helping me out whenever I’ve needed and paying me to watch your house, which you really didn’t need to do. I just wanted to give some of that kindness back.”_

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Coming out of the shower, Eddie grinned to himself as he spotted Chris sitting at the desk of their hotel room, reading over something. Tiptoeing exaggeratedly, he draped himself possessively over his lover’s back, pressing a light kiss right beneath his ear. “ _Hola querido,_ you want some Latino Heat?” he purred, laughing when Chris reached back to swat at him half-heartedly.

“I swear, I never should have mentioned that. I’m going to punch whoever came up with it in the throat,” Chris muttered even though he was laughing a little, turning his head and kissing the Latino. “Go dry off, you’re dripping everywhere.”

“ _Si_ , okay,” he agreed with another laugh, grabbing the towel he’d discarded earlier and rubbing it over his hair. “What’s that you’re looking at?”

“Nancy called me earlier with a pretty good suggestion, so I’m just looking over this stuff she faxed me.” At his lover’s silence, Chris sighed and turned in the chair, raising an eyebrow when the other man tried and failed to look casual. “It’s a power of attorney for both of us.”

Making a face at the look he was getting, Eddie continued to dry off before asking, “What the hell is that?”

“Basically, if one of us gets hurt, the other can make any kind of major decision regarding care and such. And they can’t bar us from seeing one another, like they could now.” Chris swallowed hard, looking down at the papers still in his hands. “The first time you had your car accident, I had to fight tooth and nail to see you. It was only when Vickie called the hospital and read them the riot act that I was able to be with you.”

Feeling like a complete ass for being jealous of a woman that Chris clearly had zero interest in romantically as Benoit explained the paperwork, Eddie nodded automatically. The idea was a good one, and if Chris broke his neck (again), he’d want to be there, no question. “Think one of the company lawyers would work? Or should we try to find one on our next day off?”

“Company lawyer should work, though that might mean outing ourselves.” Chris looked at him, trying his best to not allow his inner turmoil to show. He didn’t care this time around, especially since they had already agreed to marry in a few more years, but he knew Eddie might. “You ready to do that?”

“It’ll happen anyway when we get married,” the Latino pointed out reasonably, “so what if it’s a couple years early? And everyone knows we’re _mejor amigos,_ maybe they’ll just chalk it up to us watching each other’s backs.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Chris agreed, setting the papers aside and gesturing his lover back over to him. When the other man got closer, he spied a stray drop of water sliding down Eddie’s chest. Leaning forward, he caught it with his tongue, evoking a loud gasp from the Latino. Blushing brightly, he met the fond look in his lover’s eyes. “Now, come here, _mon amour_.”

Laughing loudly in delight, Eddie straddled Chris’ lap, looping his arms around the other man’s neck before leaning in and kissing him. “I knew you couldn’t resist me and my Latino Heat,” he teased, eyes sparkling madly as he deliberately allowed his accent to become thicker.

Shaking his head in amusement, Chris ran his hands up the Latino’s sides, blue eyes warm. “I never could resist you and I never want to,” he admitted, earning another kiss from his lover. “Though if you make another bad joke about your so-called Latino Heat, I might have to try.”

Wiggling his eyebrows comically, the Latino grinned widely at him. “You know you love me, bad jokes and all.” Laughing again as Chris rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion, he bent his head to kiss him again. “ _Te amo, querido_.”

“Love you too,” Chris replied with a smile, bringing him in for another kiss.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“I thought I told you to be careful,” Chris softly remarked a few days later, helping Eddie into their rental car. His heart had been in his throat as he’d watched the match, and the moment the Latino had went for the frog splash, he’d known his lover was going to get hurt.

“I tried,” Eddie protested as his lover clicked his seat belt into place for him so he wouldn’t jostle his injured arm any more than he needed to. It was still numb from the nerve block they’d given him when he’d declined major painkillers, but they’d still advised him not to irritate it. “You going to kiss it better?”

Turning his head, Benoit brushed a small kiss on Eddie’s lips, getting a surprised but pleased look which made him turn pink. “Better?” he queried, bringing one hand up to the Latino’s face in a brief, gentle caress as he went to shut the door so he could get in to drive.

“Do I get more when we’re alone?” the Latino questioned hopefully, laughing when his lover gave him an un-amused look. Gesturing to his arm, he turned pleading eyes on the Canadian, blinking pitifully. “I’m injured, you should be nice to me.”

“I’m being nice by not yelling at you,” Chris pointed out as he started the car and put it into gear. Taking note of the pouty expression on his lover’s face, he sighed heavily. _Damn him, he knows what the pout does to me._ “We’ll see.”

Barely resisting the urge to grin in triumph, Eddie turned instead to the window and stared out at the night. It felt strange, not holding Chris’ hand as they drove back to the hotel, and he side-eyed his injured left arm in minor irritation. Years before, when they’d really had to be discreet, they’d taken to holding hands when one of them was driving and it was something they continued to do even now. He’d never told Chris, but it was one of the things he’d always treasured as a silent reminder of just how much they loved each other.

“It feels weird, not holding your hand.” 

Startled, the Latino turned in surprise as Chris voiced the thought that had just ran through his head. “You suddenly become psychic on me, _querido_? Trying to be the next Walter Mercado?”

Stopping at a red light, Chris looked back at him in confusion. “I don’t even know who or what you are talking about, you know that right?”

“I was just thinking how weird it was myself, not holding hands,” he admitted with a small laugh, making Benoit smile crookedly at him. He was quiet for a second as the light turned green and they continued on. “You know that’s always been something I’ve really enjoyed?”

“Me too,” Chris replied as they turned into their hotel at last. Finding a parking space, he pulled in and put the car in park, undoing his seat belt before reaching over and undoing Eddie’s. “Can you get out okay, or do you need help?”

Glancing at the door, Eddie turned pleading eyes back to his lover, who just sighed and nodded as he got out and made his way around the car to get the door. Managing to get out without much fuss, he leaned into Chris for a split second. “Love you.”

Shaking his head in amused fondness as they fell into step, he muttered a faint, “love you too.” The little lines around Eddie’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, a clear indicator he’d heard as Chris opened the lobby door and ushered him inside. “How’s your elbow?”

“Whatever they gave me to numb it is still working for now,” Eddie told him with a minor glance down at the sling. God, he hated these damn things. First his shoulder last year thanks to that car accident, and now his elbow. Was he ever going to catch a break? Lost in thought, he almost jumped when he felt Chris’ fingers against his neck, adjusting the pressure with a few small touches as they waited for the elevator, but still managed to shoot him a grateful look. 

“I know how irritating those things are on your neck,” Chris pointed out with a small smile as the doors opened with a ding and they moved inside. Pressing the button for their floor, he pulled Eddie close as the elevator began its ascent. “You sure you’re alright?”

Resting his head on Benoit’s shoulder with a sigh, Eddie managed a small nod. “I’m fine, _mi amo,_ just irritated with myself. Especially since you warned me about this.” The elevator slowed to a stop, and they pulled away from each other as the doors opened, making their exit into the quiet hallway.

Finding their room with ease, Chris swiped the keycard and held the door open so Eddie could go in first before following. Tossing the keycard and the car keys down on the desk, he frowned a little as he watched his lover struggle to remove his shirt. “You can ask for help you know.”

Frustrated, the Latino sat down heavily on the foot of their shared bed, half glaring at his lover for several seconds before giving in. “ _Lo siento, querido,”_ he muttered as the other man approached him.

“For what? I’m just as bad as you are when I’m hurt, if not worse.” Easing the sling off, Chris helped him remove his shirt before gently touching the bicep of the injured arm just above the bandages holding the elbow in place. “Anything I can do to help?”

“You’re already doing it,” Eddie assured, meeting worried blue eyes with his own. “It’s just a dislocated elbow, _querido,_ nothing serious.”

Chris nodded with a small sigh, kneeling down to help remove his lover’s shoes and socks. “I know,” he agreed after several moments, looking up at the Latino. “I guess I’m just being paranoid, trying to stop every little thing from happening to you.”

Reaching out with his good hand, Eddie cupped Chris’ cheek, thumb brushing against the soft skin below his eye. “You can’t keep every single thing from happening to me, baby, that’s no way for either of us to live,” he remarked softly, smiling a little sadly at the sheen of tears in those blue eyes. “If it’s my time - “

“Don’t say that!” Chris cut him off snappishly, turning instantly regretful at the flash of regret in his lover’s eyes. “I can’t go through that again, Eddie. I can’t do it, I’m not strong enough.”

“Okay, _querido_ , it’s okay. I’m sorry.” Leaning forward, careful of his bad elbow, he placed a kiss on Chris’ forehead. Between the car accident last year and now this, his poor _querido_ had been a mess, even if he hadn’t admitted it. They’d known each other long enough that the Latino could tell when the other man was upset without him even saying a word.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” Benoit replied, closing his eyes briefly at the feel of Eddie’s lips on his forehead. Opening them again, he gave an apologetic smile, which was returned with an easy affection. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“We’ll call it a draw, then.” Silence fell between them for a moment before Eddie yawned hugely. “I don’t know about you, _mi amo_ , but I can use some sleep.”

“Yeah, me too,” the Canadian agreed, standing up with only a small protest from his joints and helped his lover up as well so Eddie could divest himself of his jeans. He suddenly laughed a little as he helped shove them down the Latino's thighs. “Normally if I’m taking your clothes off it’s for a better reason than because you’re injured.”

Watching as what he’d said sunk in, Eddie began laughing as his lover turned an almost impossible shade of red, his mouth snapping shut with an audible click. “Don’t you worry, it just means you’ll have to put in a little more work to get what you want,” he told the other man, pulling him in for a quick kiss before stepping out of his jeans and kicking them to the wayside. Chris refused to look at him, still a bright red as he began undressing, making the Latino shake his head fondly. “Ah _, corazón mío_ , don’t ever change.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In his first actual match on SmackDown, Eddie really did dislocate his elbow after attempting the frog splash and landing wrong. Here in the states, you don't have to be married to declare someone your power of attorney. They can be used for something as simple as having someone sign for you when buying a house to putting someone in charge or your finances or medical decisions.
> 
> Walter Mercado Salinas, aka Shanti Anada was a famous Puerto Rican astrologer and psychic. His show was very popular among the Latin American community. Chris, being Canadian, probably had zero idea who he was. Frankly, I don't know anything about him but I googled popular latino psychics and he popped up.


	15. Chapter 14

Making a disgusted face at the storyline scripts he’d been given earlier that night, Eddie tossed them aside in irritation. “They really like busting out every stereotype they can think of, don’t they?” he groused, making Chris smile a little in sympathy. “They do realize I graduated high school right?” A beat. “Tell me it doesn’t get worse, _querido_. Please.”

Chris looked at him as he continued doing his sit-ups. “You really want to know?” he finally asked, grabbing his towel from the nearby bench, and wiping the sweat from his face.

“ _Dios mío, eso no suena bien_ ,” the Latino muttered, throwing a punch at the heavy bag in front of him in irritation. “Go on.”

Getting to his feet, Benoit moved over to stand in front of the bag, bracing it with his shoulder automatically before gesturing for Eddie to continue. He allowed the man to land a couple of punches before asking, “What’d they give you script wise?”

“Joanie and I go to a damn prom or some shit,” he muttered, throwing a slightly harder punch as he pictured the writer’s faces. “Just when I thought this whole storyline couldn’t get worse, they do this.”

“Towards the end of it, you actually propose to her.”

Eddie nearly missed the bag and hit Chris instead at that one. “What the hell?” he blurted out; surely Chris was lying. “You’re kidding.”

A nod from his lover. “Yeah, it’s a whole mess towards the end. They even have you ‘break in’ to the Playboy mansion – “

Stopping short, the Latino stared at his lover incredulously. “Why the hell would I do that?”

“She poses nude for them later this year,” Chris replied with a light blush, half shrugging when Eddie’s jaw dropped open in surprise. “Yeah, so they make it look like you break in to keep them from publishing them or something like that.”

“Oh, for the love of-,” Eddie bit out in annoyance, throwing his hands up. Joanie was an adult and could do as she liked. Of all the stupid, idiotic things they could have done, this had to take the cake. For Christ’s sake, it wasn’t like she was actually his girlfriend. “Seriously?!”

“Oh, and you end up ‘proposing’ to her but then the two of you ‘break up’ because you’re caught in the shower with Victoria and another diva.” The Latino’s jaw dropped in complete shock, and Chris gave him a sympathetic look. “I know.”

“¿ _A quién se le ocurrió esto_?” Too irritated to continue his workout, he made gestured to Chris that he was finished, and the other man released the heavy bag. “ _Dios_.”

Tossing a clean towel to his lover, Chris nodded in sympathy. “I know. If it helps, you hated it the first time too.” He smiled slightly at the memory of Eddie ranting for hours in a mix of English and Spanish about idiot writers and racist stereotypes. 

Eddie was quiet for a moment, considering. “Not really,” he finally said with small headshake as they exited the hotel gym. As soon as they were alone in the elevator, the doors shut firmly behind them and the elevator began moving, he sidled up to Chris with a teasing smile. “You want to put me in a better mood when we get to our room?”

“I can do that,” Benoit agreed with a blush, pulling Eddie in for a kiss, getting a slightly startled but pleased look in return. It was becoming easier and easier to allow himself to show the Latino affection in semi-public spaces and even backstage to an extent, though they tended to err on the side of discretion at work. As the elevator slowed to a stop, he reluctantly drew away just in case as the doors opened with a faint ping.

As they entered their room a few moments later, Eddie tugged his shirt off and promptly used Chris’ to pull him in for a long kiss. “The only one I ever want to be in the shower with is you,” he mumbled, laughing as his lover blushed a vibrant red. “Which actually sounds like a fantastic idea, now I think about it. What do you say?”

“I say that shower is barely big enough for one of us, let alone two,” Chris pointed out realistically, getting a pout from his lover. “But we can always renovate the shower at home?”

Perking up at the suggestion, the Latino nodded eagerly. “I wholeheartedly support that idea,” he agreed, getting a smile out of his lover even as he slid his hands under Chris’ shirt and drawing a gasp out of the Canadian. “You know, seems a shame to get all cleaned up just to get sweaty again…” 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A couple months later, Eddie found himself wandering backstage trying to find Joanie as he adjusted his elbow pads absently. Pushing open the door to her dressing room after a small knock, he promptly shut it again as a vase was thrown at it, followed by the sound of breaking glass and Joanie’s sobs. “Hey, hey! It’s only Eddie, _mami,_ what’s going on?” he called out as he pushed the door open a second time, ready to dodge anything else she might throw his direction.

The woman known as Chyna was on her knees in the middle of her dressing room, gut wrenching sobs tearing from her throat. All around her was destruction: the couch had been upended, the mirrored vanity cracked as though she’d thrown a punch at it, potted plants overturned and spilling soil all over the floor. Looking up with watery eyes, she focused on Eddie sadly. “I didn’t hit you did I?” she asked hoarsely, brushing some of the tears off her face.

“Nah, it’s okay, I’ve got pretty good reflexes,” he dismissed, stepping carefully around the shattered glass and roses flung about the floor. Moving closer to the now quietly sobbing woman, he squatted down in front of her, brushing her hair from her face. “What’s going on?”

Struggling to speak, it took her several attempts before she got it out. “P- Paul’s cheating on me,” she got out at last, choking on the words as they made their way out. Sadness and rage warred within her but there was nothing left in here to break or throw, and Eddie didn’t deserve her taking it out on him. It wasn’t all on one person, as much as she wanted to blame it on Stephanie McMahon or even Paul himself. The whole situation was one giant mess.

It took him a second to remember that Triple H’s name was actually Paul. _That son of a…_ Reigning in his temper took a moment, wanting nothing more than to grab Chris and go beat the living daylights out of the man who called himself Hunter Hearst Helmsley. “ _Lo siento, mami_ ,” he settled on saying, pulling the upset woman into a hug, patting her on the back as she cried into his chest. “Want me and Chris to go kick his ass? We will, you know. Just say the word.”

That at least got a watery chuckle from her. “You don’t know how badly I want to say yes,” she admitted, torn now between laughing and crying. “But it wouldn’t solve anything.”

Oh, it would solve something alright, he thought darkly. He and Joanie had become friends during their whole _mamacita_ story line, just as Chris had said, and seeing the usually strong woman breaking down over that asshole had him seeing red. “Hey, forget that _bastardo_ , you’re too good for him anyway,” he cajoled, shifting so he was on his knees before her. “You deserve better than him and he knows it.”

A broken little, “I thought he loved me,” from her damn near broke Eddie’s heart and he tightened his arms around her minutely, unable to say anything. She was quiet for several minutes, the occasional shudder wracking her athletic frame. “Am I so terrible, all because I don’t want to have kids?”

“Hey, no talking like that now,” he scolded gently, resting his cheek on her dark hair as he considered what to say. “You know you’re not a terrible person, Joanie, and if that _pendejo_ doesn’t see that, then the hell with him. I love my girls, but not everyone wants to be a parent.”

She sighed heavily, fresh tears springing to her eyes. “I just… I see how you and Chris are together when you’re alone, and I want that, you know? I want someone who looks at me the way you guys look at each other, like you need each other to breathe. I thought I had that with him, but I guess not.” Pulling away from him, she swiped at her eyes half-heartedly, avoiding his gaze and looking around her dressing room. “I guess I need to clean this up and get ready for our match.”

“I’ll help,” he volunteered instantly, getting a surprised but grateful look from her. Rising to his feet, he held out a hand to her to help her up. When she was on her feet again, he hugged her tightly again, getting an equally tight one in return. “Hey, storyline or no, you’ll always be _mi_ _mamacita_.”

Laughing wetly, she graced him with a small, genuine smile. “Thanks, _papi,_ ” she joked softly, getting an amused smile from him in return. Together, they began cleaning up the room, turning the couch back onto its feet and sliding it against the wall. After a prolonged silence as they cleaned up, she spoke again. “Think you and Chris could bail me out if I break that bitch’s perfect nose?”

Snorting in laughter, Eddie nodded. “Sure, _mami_ , whatever you need.” They shared another small laugh, moving around one another with ease as they set the room to rights as best they could. Sweeping broken glass away from the door with his foot, he glanced over at her as she tried to fix her appearance in the cracked mirror. “You gonna be ok?”

“I’ll feel better when we get out there and kick some ass.” Squaring her shoulders, she tossed her hair with a swift shake of her head, allowing the mask of professionalism to settle over her features.

“There’s my girl _,”_ he encouraged, getting an amused half-smile as he held the door open and gallantly gestured her out.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head as she stepped past him. “You’re a piece of work, Eddie Guerrero,” she stated with a laugh as he fell into step beside her. “I don’t know how Chris puts up with you sometimes.”

“You really want to know?” He queried, getting an intrigued side long glance from her. “It’s my Latino Heat.”

That got a loud, genuine laugh from Joanie as they headed to gorilla. “I’m telling him you said that, just so you know.”

He paused long enough to take a rose from one of the stage crew as they waited for their cue before shrugging. “If you’re lucky, he might blush.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eddie let himself into the hotel room he and Chris shared after making sure Joanie got to her own okay later that evening. “Remind me again why we can’t beat the living hell out of that _bastardo_?” he asked aloud just as his lover exited the bathroom with a yawn.

“Who’re you talking about?” Chris questioned, coming over and giving Eddie a kiss, which was only half-heartedly returned, a clear indicator of the Latino’s foul mood. “What’s wrong?”

Pulling his shirt over his head with a few swift jerks, the Latino threw it at his gear bag with a growl. “I know you said it happened the first time, and I couldn’t do much about it because of my own problems,” he began with an annoyed huff. “But I swear, I want to beat the _maldito idiota_ to a pulp.”

Realization dawning, Chris turned the blankets down with another yawn. Poor Joanie, she deserved better than what was happening to her. He’d always thought so, even if he’d been more worried about Eddie’s problems the first time around. “I know, _chere_ , but it won’t help. All we can do is be there for her.” A brief pause as he climbed into bed, waiting patiently for Eddie to join him. “And keep her from dating Waltman.”

“ _Waltman?!_ She ends up with him?” Eddie shook his head when Chris nodded and pulled him close as he slid in beside the other man. “She can do so much better than either of them.” Curling into the warmth of Benoit’s body beside his, he lifted his face for a brief kiss. “You sure we can’t go kick Hunter’s ass?”

A low chuckle escaped the Canadian even as he yawned again, eyes falling shut. “We’d better not,” he mumbled, already half asleep from a combination of the long day, his match and Eddie lying beside him. “Don’t worry, I make him tap at ‘Mania when I win the title. We’ll tell Joanie it was for her.”

Smiling a little at the thought, Eddie went to say something but realized Chris had fallen asleep. “ _Buenas noches, querido_ ,” he said softly, brushing a soft kiss over his lover’s cheek, making the sleeping man smile briefly. “ _Te amo_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are differing accounts as to what caused Joanie and Paul's relationship to end. Some say he cheated on her with Stephanie, others say they split before he got with Stephanie. Joanie didn't want kids, but he did which caused the rift in their relationship no matter how it ended. I chose the first to show Eddie's protective side. I'm pretty sure Eddie did actually graduate but I'm not a hundred percent. Either way, during the storyline, she helped him earn his GED and even went to a 'prom' with him. I'm not kidding. 
> 
> Joanie did actually end up dating Sean Waltman (X-Pac). 
> 
> Dios mío, eso no suena bien - My God, that doesn't sound good
> 
> A quién se le ocurrió esto - Who came up with this?
> 
> maldito idiota - fucking idiot
> 
> Buenas noches - good night
> 
> Next we're jumping ahead to Chris breaking his neck. Don't worry, he'll be fine. Should be our last major time jump for a couple of chapters, as I plan on focusing on his recovery for at least two chapters.


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning - Mention of a neck injury. Nothing graphic.

_Shit, shit, shit,_ Dean repeated to himself over and over, practically shoving people out of the way as he went to find Eddie. He didn’t have to look for long, hearing the raised voice of the Latino as he was being followed by a _very_ irate Stephanie McMahon. “You can’t just leave, Eddie, you have a match!”

He turned the corner just in time to see Eddie turn on his heel, dark eyes blazing with fury. “¿ _Crees que no lo haré? Mírame,”_ he snarled, “Make something up, I don’t care! I have Chris’ power of attorney; he could have a broken fucking neck and you’re more worried about a stupid match? No, I’m gone. Fire me if you want.” With that, he shouldered what Dean recognized as Benoit’s gear bag and stormed out, leaving Stephanie gawping after him.

The entire locker room fell silent in a mixture of surprise and silent horror for their fallen comrade, all eyes landing to Stephanie as Triple H came up beside her. Bending down, he whispered something in her ear, making her snap her jaw shut and nod. “We still have a show people,” she snapped at the gathered wrestlers, turning abruptly on her heel, and storming off.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Throwing his lover’s bag into the passenger seat, Eddie slid into the driver’s seat and sat there for several seconds, reminding himself to breathe. It would do Chris no good if he wrecked on the way to the hospital because he was so pissed off he couldn’t think straight. Pounding the steering wheel with a fist as he allowed his head to fall back, he closed his eyes only to jump in shock a moment later when a large fist tapped on the door. Opening his eyes, he blinked a couple of times as he looked up at the man known as the Undertaker looking back at him. “Mark, listen _ese_ , - “he began, still in fight mode from his argument with Stephanie.

“Move over.” The bigger man just looked back at him calmly when he looked skeptical. “You’re in no shape to drive, move.”

Heaving a sigh, he nodded reluctantly and slid out of the still open door, and moving around to the passenger side as Mark moved the seat back to accommodate his much larger frame and got in. “You didn’t have to do this,” he muttered as he clicked his seat belt into place, handing the keys over when a hand was held out patiently. “Vince might fire you too.” At the look in ‘taker’s green eyes he huffed a little, amused despite himself. “You’re right, he’s not that stupid.”

They drove in silence, Eddie’s knee jumping rapidly as he tapped his foot impatiently on the floorboards. He’d hated watching that match from the get-go, watching Chris get battered by not only the other tag teams but various ladder shots, chair shots and crashing through tables. The moment Chris had jumped off the turnbuckle, he’d had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he’d crashed through the table, landing on the floor. The moment they’d wheeled him on the stretcher back through the gorilla, he’d been at his lover’s side as the trainers looked him over and declared he need to go to the ER, asap. Chris had managed to give him a slightly panicked look and that was all it took for Eddie to make his choice. Job be damned, he was going with Benoit no matter what. As they pulled into the hospital parking lot, it took him a second to realize that Mark had spoken. “What?”

“You need anything else?” the Texan drawled, raising an eyebrow at the slightly incredulous expression on Eddie’s face.

“No, _gracias_ , I’m staying with him no matter what.” The Latino ran a hand through his hair in worry as they rolled to a stop at the emergency room doors, undoing his seatbelt as the car stopped fully. Meeting Mark’s steady gaze, he forced a smile. “Thanks for this.”

The Undertaker made a low rumbling noise in his throat, reaching back for the bags that had gotten shoved into the backseat and handing them to Eddie without ceremony. “Take care of each other.”

Nodding automatically, Eddie opened the door before a thought occurred to him. “What about the car?”

“I’ll leave the keys in the visor and I’ll get a ride,” the other man replied calmly, his tone never wavering from its usual calm tone.

Deciding against arguing, the Latino nodded automatically, shouldering the bags again as he stepped out and shut the door. Without a glance back, he hurried in through the sliding doors, digging through his bag for the paperwork they’d taken to carrying around with him as he approached the nurse’s station. “I’m looking for Chris Benoit, they brought him in from the arena? I have his power of attorney thing,” he blurted before the kindly looking young lady behind the desk could ask what he needed, passing her the paperwork as she reached for it.

“I think he’s in x-ray right now, let me check,” she told him after a cursory glance at the papers, handing them back as she momentarily typed one handed. Nodding as she found the name on her screen, she pointed towards the waiting room. “He’s in x-ray right now, soon as they bring him back down, I’ll let you know so you can go see him.”

Breathing a huge sigh of relief at last, he nodded with a mumbled thanks, moving to the chairs she’d indicated. _Dios, please let him be okay,_ he prayed silently, propping his elbows on his knees, and covering his face with his hands. _Please be okay, baby, please._

After what felt like hours, he heard the nurse talking to someone followed by footsteps which made him look up just in time to see another woman in a long white coat approaching. “Eddie Guerrero?” she questioned, making him nod. “I’m Dr. Shelley, if you want to come with me, I was just about to go talk with Mr. Benoit about his x-rays.”

“Is he okay?” Eddie questioned immediately, on his feet before she’d even finished speaking.

“He’s alright, no signs of a concussion which is always a good thing,” she replied in a no-nonsense tone, as she scanned her id badge at the door and lead him through as soon as it opened. “I wanted to get you first before showing him the x-ray results as he mentioned you were his power of attorney.”

“ _Si,_ I am. Is… is it bad?”

She shot him a sympathetic glance and shook her head. “Not as bad as it could be, and it could still definitely get worse if he tries to go back too early. Right now, he won’t need surgery but it’s absolutely vital he follows the treatment plan.”

Breathing a little easier at that as Dr. Shelley stopped in front of a cracked door, pushing it open with a little knock. Chris still had a c-collar around his neck, looking a combination of exhausted, in pain and irritated but still a wonderful sight to Eddie’s eyes. “ _Hola querido,”_ he greeted softly as the doctor moved to one side where the light box for the x-ray was mounted to the wall.

“Hey,” Chris managed with a small smile as the Latino moved to his side and grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. He was saved from talking more by a feminine throat being cleared, bringing both of their attention back to the doctor. 

The x-ray films rattled in her hand as the doctor stuck them onto the light box, turning it on. “Well, the good news is that there are only hairline fractures of the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae,” she pointed them out carefully, tracing just below them with her nail to give them a clearer picture, “and there’s also a very minor dislocation of the C-5 which will resolve itself given time.” Turning to the second film, this one a chest x-ray, she pointed at a couple spots on the rib cage. “You’ve got a couple cracked ribs, but no fractures.”

Dr. Shelley turned off the lighted box, taking the x-ray films down and putting it in its folder. “Now, I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but you’re going to be out for about eight weeks, better to shoot for twelve weeks but the absolute minimum is eight. Any questions?”

Chris opened his mouth, likely to argue about the timeframe, but the Latino cut him off. “You really want to make it worse by going back too early?” he growled in a low voice, getting a side-eyed glare from the stubborn Canadian. Recalling what his lover had said before, about how it had indeed been worse when he’d gone back too early, there was **no way** Eddie was letting it happen again.

“You go back too early, you run the risk of becoming a quadriplegic or even dying.” Shelley’s voice made both of them look at her in stunned silence. “Also, you should know, since he has your power of attorney, he can fight doctors on clearing you too early.”

That was it, he was going to kiss Nancy for suggesting the power of attorney agreement, Eddie decided, watching as Chris deflated and nodded as best he could. “When can I take him home?” he questioned, getting a grateful hand squeeze, which he returned.

“You’ll be staying with him?” she questioned, getting an immediate nod that she returned with a small one of her own. “Ordinarily, I’d say we’d keep him over night but, since there’s no concussion, I can let you go ahead and go. We’ll get you some meds for tonight and I’ll write you a couple of prescriptions. Keep the brace on, especially when you sleep for at least the first couple of weeks. I recommend physical therapy to help keep you from losing any muscle tone because you won’t be able to work out the way you’re probably used to. Should get out of here within an hour or so, but you’re not okay to fly.”

_God, that car ride is going to suck_ , Chris thought wearily, closing his eyes as Eddie and the doctor finished speaking. Gentle fingers on his face made him open his eyes again, meeting the worried brown of his lover. “Didn’t you have a match tonight?”

“I walked out,” Eddie replied indifferently, getting an almost scandalized look from his lover. “Told _la_ _princessa_ to go screw herself basically, I was going whether she liked it or not. Mark drove me here.”

“You shouldn’t have done that, not even for me,” Chris chided gently, before his blue eyes widened a fraction. “’Taker?”

“ _Si_ , surprised me too.” He bent down, pressing a kiss to Chris’ temple. “You scared the hell out of me, you know that?”

“Scared the hell out of myself too, if it helps,” Chris admitted with a small, self-deprecating laugh which turned into a wince as it pulled on his cracked ribs. Sighing, he leaned as best he could into Eddie. “Thanks for being here.”

“ _Eres mi marido_ , where else would I be?” the Latino pointed out reasonably, getting a half smile out of the other man. “And don’t tell me we’re not married yet, we’re as good as and you know it.”

“I wasn’t going to argue,” Benoit replied with a small yawn, reaching up and adjusting the collar minutely. “I hate these damn things.”

"I know baby." Moving his hand from his lover’s face, Eddie gently slid his fingers under it to caress at the soft skin. “Is that any better?”

Chris gave a contented hum, eyes falling to half-mast at the gentle touches. “You touching me always helps,” he said softly, meeting warm brown eyes with a small smile.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Deciding to head to the car to pull it up to the entrance before they fully discharged Chris, Eddie’s cellphone rang and nearly made him jump out of his skin in surprise.

“ _Oh my God, Eddie, is Chris okay?”_ Nancy’s concerned voice crackled over the phone the moment he answered. “ _For that matter, are you okay?”_

“He’ll be alright,” Eddie assured, as much for her as himself. When his lover had first mentioned that he’d broken his neck before, he’d hoped that against all odds, it wouldn’t happen again. The business they both loved was a rough one and injuries happened but considering what had happened with Droz in ’99, it was a sobering reminder of just how badly things could have turned out. “And I’m okay, he just had me scared half to death.”

“ _I was watching SmackDown and they said you got attacked or something,”_ Nancy admitted, relief coloring her tone the moment he assured her they were alright. “ _Then they showed the thing with Chris and I knew it had to be a work, because there’s no way you wouldn’t be with him. When will you two be on your way home?”_

“ _Si,_ I might not have a job but the hell with them. Chris is more important. He can’t fly so we’re driving, should be home in a couple of days.” He sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. “Going to go back to the hotel for the night and head out first thing in the morning.”

“ _I’ll get the living room set up for the two of you, so he doesn’t need to worry about stairs. Make sure there’s groceries in the house, the whole nine. And, yes, I know I don’t have to but the less you need to worry about the better.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chris broke his neck earlier in the year of 2001, but I'm placing this in November of '01 so it coincides with Eddie's real life DWI arrest and subsequent firing from WWE. While in real life, he wrestled in the independent scene for a while, I'm letting him stay with Chris for this story. Far as I can tell, nothing major happened anyway in the independents. 
> 
> ¿Crees que no lo haré? Mírame - You think I won't? Watch me
> 
> Eres mi marido - You're my husband


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning - Frank description of injuries sustained in a car accident.

When they finally arrived home a couple days later, Chris was so relieved to see the familiar house, a small part of him wished he could kiss the ground under his feet. The damn neck brace he had to wear chafed inanely, and after one too many hotel rooms, he was beyond ready to collapse into his own bed. “I’m sorry if I’ve been snappish,” he said softly as they pulled into the drive, making sure not to block Nancy’s car in.

Eddie leaned over the center console, pressing a soft kiss to Chris’ temple as he unclicked their seat belts. “I know you’re hurting, so it’s alright,” he assured, getting a wan little smile from his lover as he opened the driver’s side door. “And we’re home now, so everything’s going to be okay.”

_Home._ God, the word alone falling from the Latino’s lips was enough to make him sigh, the tension of the last few days starting to bleed out of him. Before he knew it, Eddie was there opening his door and watching him closely in case he needed any help. Taking a couple steps away so his lover could close the door, he snagged Eddie’s hand in his to get the other man’s attention. “Thank you,” he told him quietly, squeezing the fingers in his keeping gently.

Tilting his head quizzically, the Latino looked at him. “For what, _querido_?”

“For not treating me like I’m completely helpless.” The curious look in his lover’s eyes made Chris sigh a little. “When this happened, before, everyone around me acted like I would shatter into a million pieces if I did anything. You at least would simply offer the help, be there if I needed it, but let me do it myself. Like you are now. So, thank you.”

Smiling a little, Eddie nodded, lacing their fingers together loosely. “Of course, _mi amo_. Come on, let’s go inside, yeah?”

Inside, Nancy was waiting for them. “Hey guys,” she greeted, her tone a little subdued as she eyed the brace around Chris’ neck. “How’re you feeling, Chris?”

“Happy to be home but sore,” Benoit admitted with a sigh, the remaining tension dissolving at the knowledge that they were home and would remain so for the next couple of months. Curiously, he looked around for a minute, fully expecting her little girl to come running at them. “Where’s Danielle?”

“Sandy’s got her. Figured you two might want some time to settle before having her all over you,” Nancy replied with a small smile as she took turns giving them both a hug. Gesturing for them to follow, she turned and headed towards the family room at the back of the house. “I’ve got the big room down here all set up, so you won’t have to worry about navigating the stairs.”

A little later, after Eddie got Chris settled, he followed Nancy into the kitchen where she was warming up something for dinner. “Nancy,” he began, faltering a little as he wondered how to continue.

She made an inquiring hum as she found some potholders, pulling a covered dish from the oven with care. “I know, I know, I didn’t have to do any of this,” she told him with a small laugh, moving to grab plates.

“ _Si,_ that too, but I just wanted to say thank you.” Her dark eyes blinked at him a little in surprise, and he shrugged awkwardly. “That power of attorney thing really helped, and we’d have never thought of it if it wasn’t for you.”

“Oh, well, you’re welcome. I was in wrestling a long time, you know, and god knows I’ve seen enough guys, and girls even, get injured.” She was quiet for a moment as she discarded the potholders, not looking at him. “With everything that happened during that whole affair story line, I grew to care about Chris. I knew about the two of you from the start, and I knew if something happened to one of you, there was no real legal recourse for you to stick together. Did some reading, and it seemed like the best bet.”

Knowing she was leaving something out, he decided to drag it into the open. “He told me about that kiss, you know,” Eddie pointed out wryly, lifting one shoulder when she looked at him wide-eyed and embarrassed.

Nancy let out a small laugh. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” she finally admitted, bracing her hands on the counter before her. “He told me from the start it was all a work, that he was already with someone. I just… things with Kevin weren’t great, and I guess I just wanted to feel _something._ ” She shook her head, unable to look at him. “It was a rough time for me.”

Eddie nodded, stating softly, “I get it. Chris is easy to fall in love with, whether you’re trying to or not.”

She looked over at him then, smiling slightly at the look on his face before asking teasingly, “Voice of experience there, Eddie?”

“You could say that,” he agreed with a smile of his own as he reminisced. God knows, they’d hated each other at first. Especially when he’d found out that Chris was the one who’d knocked him out cold that first match, he’d been beyond pissed. Yet, within months, they were friends with a love closer than brothers coming to life between them. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When Nancy finally left, Chris breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was extremely grateful for everything she’d done for them but frankly, he was more than ready to be alone with Eddie. “I was starting to think she’d never leave,” he muttered as his lover came back into the room with the prescription pill bottle in his hand and a glass of water.

“I know, a little surprising that she didn’t practically move in,” Eddie agreed with a laugh, getting a baleful look in return. Setting the glass down long enough to open the pill bottle, he shook one out and offered it to the other man. “Here, I know you’ve got to be hurting.”

“Don’t like taking these,” Benoit muttered, even as he tossed it into his mouth, swallowing it down with a sip of water a second later. Closing his eyes in frustration, he relaxed into the massive pile of pillows Nancy had acquired for them. Sighing, he opened his eyes as Eddie climbed in beside him, forcing himself to smile at the Latino. “Love you.”

“ _Yo también te quiero_ ,” Eddie replied easily, leaning up and kissing him gently. Fingering the brace around his lover’s neck, he met Chris’ eyes. “You want to take this off for a bit?”

“God yes,” he agreed, sitting up a little gingerly and allowing the Latino to undo the Velcro straps holding it in place and removing it cautiously from around his neck. With a hugely relieved sigh, he sank back, holding his head and neck steady so as not to aggravate the injuries. “Thank you.”

“Of course, baby, anything I can do to help.” The Latino brushed gentle fingers over the curve of his lover’s throat, frowning slightly at the reddened skin where the brace had chafed the last few days. “Is this helping any?”

“Yeah.” Chris was quiet for a moment, watching his lover. “You and Nancy have a good talk?”

Flicking his eyes up to Chris’, Eddie shook his head with a small laugh. “You heard that, huh?” he questioned, not waiting for an answer before continuing. “ _Si,_ we talked. I thanked her for that power of attorney idea.”

Benoit hummed low in his throat, eyes falling to half mast as the Latino continued his gentle touches on the chafed and irritated patches of skin. “Why do I feel like there’s more you’re leaving out?”

Going silent for several minutes, he readjusted his position on the bed beside his lover before speaking in a low tone, “she thought she was in love with you, you know.”

“I can believe it,” Chris agreed, eyes opening fully when the gentle touches stopped, meeting his lover’s surprised stare. “I don’t think she and I were ever really _in love_ ; not like you and I are. Things with Sullivan were going downhill with them before the whole affair thing, and I guess she looked to me like I could rescue her.” He got quiet for a moment, a faraway look in his eyes as he thought back. “Looking back, I liked being needed like that. You were starting to get pretty bad off with the partying, and I couldn’t save you, but I could save her. I convinced myself it was love and that I cared about her the way I care for you. That car accident changed literally everything. God, Eddie, you don’t even know just how bad it was.”

“Tell me.” The Latino shrugged when his lover’s blue eyes met his, nodding in response to the silent question. “I can handle it, tell me.”

Reaching for the water glass, he was stopped by Eddie who grabbed it for him, holding the straw in place so he could take a drink. “It’s pretty rough,” he warned, grabbing hold of the other man’s hand to ground himself. “They actually thought you weren’t going to make it for a couple of days.”

“So you’ve said.”

“No, Eddie, you don’t understand. You were in the ICU and they don’t normally let kids in there, but they allowed Shaul to come say goodbye.” Chris winced internally when Eddie visibly flinched as though struck. “I remember Vickie said that your liver was lacerated. You’d fractured your collarbone, compressed some discs in your spine, broke your right hip socket and fucked up your left leg pretty badly. Both legs were a mess, but the left was the worst.”

_How the hell did I **survive**?! _Eddie wondered incredulously, stunned into silence. “Is that all?” he finally asked, a cold chill running down his spine.

“I saw the car, after. Vickie asked me to take her to see it,” Chris swallowed, closing his eyes as he remembered seeing Eddie’s beloved Trans Am and hearing Vickie scream in horror. “I actually puked, because if you hadn’t been thrown out of the t tops, there was **no way** you’d have survived it. It looked like it had been put into one of those car crusher things you see at a junkyard.”

“ _Madre de dios_ ,” the Latino managed, covering his eyes with his shaking free hand. Good God above, what had he done to his loved ones that night? Or the many nights that undoubtedly followed. Chris had never sugar coated just how bad his addiction to pain killers had gotten. They’d discussed it at length that first year as he fought to stay clean and sober, and he could easily remember the look in those blue eyes as his lover had recounted some of the things he’d said or done. “Chris…”

“Told you it was bad,” Benoit replied weakly, squeezing the hand still in his keeping gently.

_Bad?_ Eddie wanted to laugh but felt as though if he even opened his mouth, he’d throw up. Chris remembered all that which meant… Shaul and Sherilyn did too. _Jesus Christ, what did I do?_ Tears stung his eyes behind his hand, his stomach still rebelling against the food Nancy had cooked for them prior to leaving them alone. The minutes ticked by as he fought to control the horror he felt at having put everyone he loved through that mess. Swiping surreptitiously at his eyes as he moved his hand down, he met his lover’s warily. “I put you through all that… and you still stayed?”

“Of course I did. Nowhere else I wanted to be.”

The calm words were like a balm to the soul. _You really are my gift from God,_ Eddie thought to himself, leaning and kissing Chris carefully. Resting their foreheads together, he closed his eyes briefly, the love reflected in those blue eyes almost too much to bear in the face of everything. “I owe so much to you, _querido_ -,” he began as he opened his eyes again, but was cut off by the other man.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Chris told him seriously. “I told you that then and I’m telling you now. I stayed because I love you. Having this time with you now, regardless of the circumstances, it’s more than I ever even dared to dream for. Hell, just the knowledge that in a few more years I’ll get to call you my husband, you can’t imagine what that means to me.”

“I really don’t deserve you; you know that?” the Latino muttered faintly, getting a little half-smile from his lover, a silent testament that clearly said Chris disagreed. Clearing his throat, he brushed their lips together in a gentle kiss before pulling away to settle beside the other man. “You want to see what’s on TV?”

Lifting his arm enough that Eddie could cuddle close, Chris gave a barely perceptible nod. “Sure.” They fell into a comfortable silence as his lover found the remote and turned the tv. “ _Je t'aime beaucoup_.”

Sighing as he relaxed into Chris’ embrace, Eddie smiled at the softly spoken French, blinking against the tears still present in his eyes. “Love you too, _querido_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose to let Nancy have a little girl in this story, though I did use the feminine version of Daniel (Danielle). 
> 
> The injuries described came from an excerpt of Eddie’s autobiography, Cheating Life, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story which I found on Amazon. I fully intend on buying it ASAP. I’m hoping to end this at 35 chapters, including the two part epilogue but it might end up with more, might end up with less. Dunno yet. This and the next two chapters are going to focus on Chris’ recovery and then their return to wrestling.


	18. Chapter 17

Groaning in pain, Chris sat down heavily in the passenger seat of the car. “That guy is a damn sadist,” he grumbled, wincing as the muscles in his neck spasmed. Doing his seatbelt, he closed his eyes as Eddie got in the driver’s seat. “Fuck my neck hurts.”

Doing his own seatbelt, Eddie gave him a sympathetic glance, taking his lover’s hand in his and lacing their fingers together. “I know baby. You need to eat something when we get home and then you can take your meds, okay?”

Nodding fractionally, Benoit cringed a little as his neck stiffened up at the movement. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed, shifting a little to make himself more comfortable. At least he didn’t have to wear the brace all the time finally. God, he couldn’t wait for the day he could burn that damn thing and be done with it. He had the tentative date circled on the calendar already. They drove in silence for a while before he spoke again. “Thanks again for putting up with me.”

The Latino laughed, the sound bright and loud in the car. “It’s not putting up with you, _querido_ , you know that,” he chided, squeezing the hand in his. “You maybe want a neck massage later?”

“Oh God, yes, that sounds amazing,” Chris agreed with a loud sigh, looking forward to getting home even more than he was a few minutes ago. The past few weeks of his recovery had been rough, made worse when he’d begun his physical therapy. _God, what I wouldn’t give to have sex tonight,_ he thought a little miserably. The pain killers they’d given him had definitely affected his libido and not in a good way. “Think I can maybe get away with something like Motrin for the pain?”

Glancing at Chris as they pulled onto the road leading home, Eddie half shrugged. “That depends on you, Chris, and how bad you’re hurting,” he pointed out reasonably, getting an aggrieved huff from his lover. “Why do you want to take something other than what they gave you?”

“Why do you think?” Benoit’s tone was petulant, he knew, but damnit. Going on almost two months without sex was starting to wear on him. “I know it has to be bothering you too.”

Eddie couldn’t deny that, though he could at least take care of himself in the shower if nothing else. “If you want to try Motrin instead, we can but if it doesn’t work, you have to promise you’ll take your meds.”

“Fine.” A beat as they approached the house and his lover downed the window to put in the gate code. “You hear back from McMahon on if you still have a job after walking out?”

Rolling his eyes, the Latino nodded as they continued up the winding driveway to the house. “Yes, I still have my job. McMahon wasn’t thrilled but when I told him I was the only one you had to help you out, he relented a little. Think Dean and Chavo might’ve pleaded my case too, I’ll have to thank them.”

Another twinge of pain made Chris grimace before he could reply, making his lover frown a little as the car was put in park and shut off. “I need a shower and then I guess I’ll put the brace back on.” He made an audibly frustrated sound at the idea.

As they got out of the car, Eddie visibly brightened. “You know that shower is big enough for both of us now,” he pointed out. “I can come help you, wash your back maybe?”

“Only if you wash everything else, too,” Chris replied with a smile that faded into a pained flinch as another muscle spasm hit him. Moving around the car slowly, he took Eddie’s proffered hand in his and they made their way inside. “Hopefully the hot water will help.”

“It should.” The Latino unlocked the door, disabling the alarm after they moved inside. “You want to eat something first, or shower?”

Sighing, he reached up and rubbed at his neck half-heartedly. “I probably should eat something first,” he finally decided as his stomach protested with a growl.

Nodding, Eddie ushered him into the temporarily converted family room. “Go relax, I’ll bring you something to eat and some Motrin, okay _querido_?”

Settling onto the bed with care, he let out a relieved sigh as he sank into the pillows, humming an appreciative sound. Smiling softly as his lover made some minute adjustments to make him as comfortable as possible, he snagged Eddie’s shirt with his fingers, making the other man look at him curiously. “Love you.”

Leaning in with a smile, Eddie kissed him gently. “Love you too, baby,” he assured, brushing the back of his knuckles over Chris’ cheek. “I’ll be right back, okay? You just relax.” With that, the Latino was gone, returning a couple minutes later balancing the bottle of Motrin, a plate of food and a glass of water.

Making a quickly aborted attempted to help at the look he got from Eddie, Chris held up his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “How many of those you think I should take?” he questioned instead as his lover passed him the bottle of Motrin before setting down the plate of food and the water glass on the side table.

“I think they normally prescribe 800 mg.” The Latino’s tone was doubtful as he eyed the bottle in his lover’s hand, taking it from him a moment later to eyeball the label. “It says they’re 200 mg each, so I’d try four. But you need to eat first.” 

Managing to eat without much fuss, he took the small orange pills his lover passed him a few minutes later, swallowing them down with a gulp of water. _Here goes nothing,_ Benoit thought to himself, silently praying it worked. “If this works, I’ll call the doctor tomorrow and ask for a script of these instead of the others.”

“Fair enough, _querido_ , fair enough.”

After about an hour, as the TV droned on without them really paying attention, Chris took a mental stock of his aches. His neck had stopped spasming angrily, the pain now at a manageable level. “That offer of help in the shower still good?” he asked after another minute’s silent consideration.

“That offer’s always on the table for you, _querido_ , you know that,” Eddie told him, snickering to himself as his lover blushed a bright red. “Come on then, let’s go get you cleaned up.”

Within minutes, they were in the shower together, the hot water relaxing Chris’ neck muscles even further. “God that feels good,” he groaned, closing his eyes as he let the spray hit his neck directly. “Hey, I just thought of something.”

Briefly distracted by the sight of his lover wet and naked before him, it took the Latino a second to pull his mind out of the gutter. “What’s that?” he finally asked, reaching out of the shower to grab a washcloth off the towel rack.

“Christmas is in another week or so, right? After David and Megan go home, you want to go see the girls?” Benoit queried, opening his eyes finally to look at the Latino. His kids were coming down the week before, but he knew Eddie would be missing his girls. Sherilyn had at least come out over Thanksgiving to spend time with him, but Shaul still refused to see him. 

Letting the water hit the washcloth, Eddie frowned a little in thought. He’d already made sure Vickie had enough money to get the girls something from him for Christmas, having been unsure if Chris would be cleared to fly. It had been nice seeing Sherilyn over her fall break even if Shaul had refused to come. _God, Shaul._ Just her name sent a pang through him and in an effort to distract himself, he ran the now soaked cloth over his lover’s shoulders. “It’s not a bad idea,” he hedged at last, stopping at the still slightly tense muscle in Chris’ neck and beginning to rub gently.

Melting under the touch at his neck, Benoit swore if he were a cat he’d be purring. “I know you miss them,” he offered, shivering under the practiced touch. Opening his eyes, he sighed at the sad look in his lover’s eyes. He felt terrible for the fact that Shaul still absolutely wouldn’t even come to the phone and speak to her father. “Maybe if she see’s you’re making an effort…”

“I’ve been making an effort from the start, baby,” Eddie sighed, continuing to rub at the muscle beneath his hand. He called two to three times a week, each time asking for her and each time, Vickie or Sherilyn would tell him the same thing: Shaul still wasn’t speaking to him. “I just wish she would listen to me, at least, try to let me explain.”

Chris fell silent, unable to offer any words of comfort or even a suggestion to try and get her to listen to Eddie. _She is definitely her father’s daughter,_ he thought bemusedly, knowing just how stubborn the Latino could be. Choosing instead to focus on what he could fix, he covered Eddie’s hand on his neck with his own, making his lover look at him questioningly. “We’ll go together, see the girls, your mom. Maybe she’ll listen this time, maybe not but we have to keep trying. Together.”

_Together._ The Latino had to admit, he liked the sound of that. Plus, it would be good to see his mother, assure her he was still alive and being well taken care of. She’d always liked Chris, considered him a good influence on her otherwise unruly child. “You just want _mi madre_ to cook for you again,” he teased with a smile, getting a half shrug from Chris. “You know she spoils you.”

“Oh, because she doesn’t spoil you just as badly,” Benoit fired back with a laugh, turning at his lover’s silent urging, and allowing the other man to run the washcloth over his back. The loud, genuine laugh coming from behind him made him smile to himself. The older woman may never say so aloud, but he personally always thought that Eddie was her favorite, even if she’d always playfully accused him of shaving years off her life. “See, you agree with me.”

“No point in denying the truth,” Eddie replied easily, discarding the washcloth by hanging it up so they didn’t slip on it and finding the shampoo. Lathering his hands, he reached up and began massaging it into Chris’ scalp, smiling at the pleased sound his lover made. “We should probably decorate before the kids come.”

Humming contently, Chris nodded fractionally as he stepped further under the water to rinse off at a gentle nudge. “Can always put Nancy in charge of it, she'd probably have it done in ten minutes.”

“That woman is a force of nature,” Eddie said by way of agreement, passing the soap off to Chris when the other man gestured for it. It was soon his turn to turn into a relaxed puddle as his lover returned the favor, sighing in pleasure at the touch. “You said I cut my hair before we go back right?”

“Little after,” Chris agreed as he massaged his lover’s scalp, and smiling softly at the pleased expression on the Latino’s face. “I admit, I missed it when you cut it. Used to run my fingers through it for hours sometimes.”

“You never told me that,” the Latino protested, as they moved around each other so he could rinse off.

Benoit half shrugged, looking self-conscious. “It was mainly when you weren’t sober,” he admitted after a moment of reflection. There were many times he’d stayed up most of the night to make sure his lover didn’t puke in his sleep, running his fingers through the dark strands. The motion had been oddly soothing for him and it was something he didn’t think he’d ever told his lover. “I don’t know, it helped me not worry so much about you, doing that.”

_God, I put you through hell and back, didn’t I,_ he mused to himself, closing his eyes as he turned his face up to the spray and allowed the suds to rinse from his hair. Reaching behind him, he turned the spray off a moment later, following Chris out and allowing the other man to wrap him in a towel. “Hey.”

Raising his eyebrows inquiringly as he helped dry the other man off, Chris paused. “Yeah?”

Pulling another clean towel off the rack, he stepped forward and wrapped it around the other man in turn. “I love you so much, you know that?” Eddie queried, tugging him in for a kiss. “I’m sorry I put you through that and I swear to you, I’ll never do that again.”

“I know it won’t. You won’t let it.”

The absolute faith in Chris’ words was also reflected in those blue eyes and it nearly took the Latino’s breath away. “How’s your neck?”

Chris considered for a second, before shrugging a little. “Better than it was earlier, that’s for sure.” Taking stock of the look in his lover’s eyes, he blushed bright red but smiled slowly. “Are you thinking what I am?”

“Oh, I’m always thinking about you like that, _querido_ ,” Eddie agreed with a naughty smirk, tossing his towel away and tugging Chris into the bedroom. “Now come here and let me love you.”

Laughing even as he felt himself turning redder, Chris followed without protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> non-sexual intimacy for the win. bit of a filler focusing on Chris' recovery. one more recovery chapter, i think and then we'll see them preparing to come back to WWE.


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty emotionally heavy chapter

Sherilyn frowned, arms crossed over her chest in irritation. “I know you’re upset with him Shaul, but you should at least talk to him!” she snapped, glaring at her older sister’s closed door. Their dad would be there any time now, and Shaul was still being incredibly selfish in her opinion. She’d been taking this time to really understand their dad’s new-ish relationship with Chris, to actually get to know the man. When he’d died, she’d only really had the chance to know him sober for a couple years.

Now, everything was different with their parents splitting but mom seemed happy, ironically enough with a guy named Kris as well. Their father was happy too, the glowing looks he and Chris shared reminding her of the way people looked at each other in romance movies. If only Shaul would _talk_ to dad, let him explain the way he had with her. “Please Shaul? It’s Christmas.”

There was no response, just like the last time. Tears stinging her eyes, she sighed and shook her head, making her way downstairs. Their mom looked at her sympathetically. “No luck?”

Sherilyn shook her head. “No,” she muttered, sitting on the couch morosely. It wasn’t like they could explain to their mom what they knew and remembered, how they recalled their father’s premature death at 38. “I know she’s hurt, mom, but she’s hurting everyone else around her too.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Feeling incredibly out of place as Eddie went to try and talk to Shaul, again, Chris sat on the couch stiffly, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Vickie was in the kitchen, making dinner and Sherilyn sat cross legged on the floor a few feet from him. “She’s not going to talk to him is she,” he stated, rubbing his palms back and forth over his knees.

Sherilyn was quiet for a second before shaking her head reluctantly. “I don’t think so,” she hedged, staring down at the carpet below her. “Has dad been… okay?”

Benoit nodded, ignoring the brief twinge in his neck at the motion. “He’s been good, still sober if that’s what you’re asking. He’s pretty determined to stay healthy for you and your sister.” Off her surprised look, he half smiled at her. “What, you think he did all that for me?”

_See Shaul? He’s trying! Why can’t you?!_ She mentally screamed at her sister, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. “And… you’re okay?” she asked after a second when she felt a little more control. Off his look, she shrugged a little. “Dad said you’d hurt your neck.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Took a rough bump in the ring is all.” He cleared his throat, shifting a little awkwardly in his seat. “Didn’t need surgery or anything, and I was finally able to get rid of the brace before coming out here.”

“That’s good.” They descended into silence again for a few minutes before she spoke again. “I’ve been trying to get her to at least talk to him, you know.”

“I’m sure your dad would appreciate that. I hate seeing how badly it’s hurting him not to see or talk to her,” Chris admitted with a heavy sigh, running a hand down his face. The knowledge of what would happen when they got back to their hotel room killed him a little inside, knowing that the moment they were alone together Eddie would break down crying. It made him feel completely helpless, unable to do anything but hold the man he loved as he cried.

“I don’t particularly like it either. I think she’s being a selfish brat, but maybe that’s just me,” she muttered bitterly, saved from any response by the sound of her father coming back downstairs. He was clearly upset and doing his best to hide it, putting on a smile for her as he entered the living room with a minute headshake in Chris’ direction.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Just as he knew would happen, Eddie broke down crying the moment they were by themselves. The Latino had been quiet throughout dinner, barely managing a smile for Sherilyn as she’d opened the gifts they’d bought for her. Shaul’s sat under the tree, untouched, as she’d refused to come out for anything. No amount of pleading from Vickie or Sherilyn could convince her to come out and by the time it was all said and done, Chris was ready to just break down the girl’s door and scream at her himself.

He understood she was upset, that things had changed beyond what she’d expected but damnit, couldn’t she understand how badly this was hurting Eddie? She’d wanted him back bad enough to perform some random spell or whatever, but in this moment, he almost wished she’d never done it. Seeing the man he loved in such pain and unable to do anything about it was a special kind of torture. “I’m sorry, I know baby, I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over, tightening his embrace around the Latino as the man clung to him.

He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, walk away from him. What good would it do? Vickie had moved on, had even confided earlier she was considering a move to Tampa so that they’d be a little closer to Chris and Eddie. The only thing him leaving would accomplish would be to completely destroy both men in one fell swoop. They were each other’s strength, always had been, seeing one another through everything the world decided to throw at them. “She’ll come around.”

Lifting his head with a sniff, Eddie gave him a watery half-smile. “Since when are you such an optimist, _mi querido_?” he asked hoarsely, closing his eyes briefly when Chris lifted a hand and cupped his cheek, bushing away some of his tears with a thumb.

“I’m still not, not really,” Chris replied softly, getting a weak chuckle from the Latino which made him smile a little in return. “I wish I had the right words to say to make it better.”

Exhaling a shivery breath, the Latino sat up a little reluctantly, taking one of Chris’ hands in his and squeezing gently. “I know what she wants, but it’s not happening,” he admitted at last, brushing the remaining tears from his face. “I believe she thinks you somehow made me choose, when you, Vickie and I all know that’s not the truth. She doesn’t understand that she wouldn’t get what she wanted if one of us were to walk away from the other.”

Benoit nodded quietly, unsure of what to say when everything Eddie said was true. If anyone was trying to force the Latino to choose between his family and Chris, it was Shaul. He didn’t voice the thought aloud, wanting to spare his lover any more pain. “You need anything?” he finally questioned after a few minutes.

“Just you,” Eddie stated calmly as he leaned in and brushed their mouths together in a kiss. Sighing into his lover’s mouth as he was gently pulled over top the other man, he allowed everything else to fall away. As they broke apart for air, he looked down into Chris’ blue eyes. “ _Te amo.”_

“ _Je t’aime aussi._ ” Chris returned without pause, shifting slightly so his lover fell between his thighs. At the slight inquiring look, he just raised his eyebrows. “You said you need me, well, I need you too.”

Exchanging kisses again, they didn’t speak as they undressed one another, choosing instead to communicate through a series of soft touches and moans. All the stress and worry of the past few months melted away as they lost themselves in one another.

Later, laying in a tangle of sweaty and satiated limbs, Eddie looked over at him curiously when he felt his lover staring at him. “What’s got you looking all serious over there _papi_?”

Biting the inside of his lip briefly, Chris exhaled slowly. “I… I just want you to know that even with everything, I’d choose you over and over again. In one or a hundred lifetimes, I’d continue to find you and choose you all over again.” Blushing under his lover’s almost astonished gaze, he squirmed a little in discomfort. “What?”

“Not good with words, huh?”

“It’s different when it’s just you and I.” Benoit was quiet for a minute before he spoke again, his tone more subdued. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the fight we had before everything happened.”

That caught Eddie’s attention and he moved to prop himself on his side, looking at his lover in concern. “What about it?” he questioned cautiously. Chris rarely talked about anything to do with him dying, choosing to focus more on the here and now and the things they could fix to stop it.

“I… I think maybe, some small part of me did want you to choose,” he began slowly, hesitantly, as though worried the Latino would abruptly get up and leave or become angry with him. “I’d been choosing you and your needs over everything and everyone else for so long that maybe part of me wanted you to choose me for once. Not that I’d ever want you to hurt the girls or even Vickie, not ever, but it was like what more did I need to do? What could I say to get you to see that I’d given you every part of me, heart and soul, that would get you to say, you know what? I’m the one choosing you this time.”

“Chris…” the Latino began before trailing off, unsure of what to say. From what Chris had told him and even what Sherilyn could recall, his addictions to partying and drugs had gotten out of control and taken over everything. Even Shaul, before she’d stopped speaking to him, had recalled how the Canadian was always with him and taking care of him. If Vickie couldn’t reach him directly, she’d call Chris and inevitably, Chris would be there with him or know where he was. God, his lover wasn’t even kidding when he said he’d chosen Eddie over everything. 

“I don’t know what I’m saying, forget it,” Benoit began, moving to go take a shower and try and sort out his thoughts. The hand on his bicep stopped him, and he turned a little warily to face his lover.

Feeling the tenseness of the muscle beneath his hand, Eddie looked at him calmly. “I was a real _pendejo_ to you wasn’t I,” he said aloud, shaking his head when the other man would’ve denied it. “I can’t… undo all that or take it back but it hurt you pretty deeply and I know that’s something I’d never want to do.” Chris was still watching him warily but was beginning to relax fractionally as he spoke. “And don’t tell me it’s okay because it’s not. You were with me through everything and when you asked the same of me, I chose to throw that in your face rather than man up and do the same. Maybe that’s why when Vickie asked about us and then wanted me to choose I couldn’t do it. I actually refused to do it.”

Surprise flashed in Chris’ blue eyes and the Latino nodded. “ _Si,_ I did. She said she’d known we’d been _amantes_ for a while but with me choosing to get sober, she wanted a fresh start between her and I. Told me it was her or you, and I felt like a selfish bastard but I didn’t see it as a choice. I mean, I couldn’t tell her that our end goal was to keep me from dying, you know? It’s just like this whole thing with Shaul. Could one of us walk away in an effort to make her happy? _Absolutamente_ , but what good would it do for anyone? We’d both be miserable and everyone around us would be too.”

“Kind of learned that when I was avoiding you before we got together in our ECW days,” Chris agreed with a small laugh.

“That we did,” Eddie agreed with a rueful laugh of his own before sobering, reaching up and turning his lover’s head gently so their eyes could meet. “I know that I never said it then but I’m saying it now, _querido_. I’m choosing you, now and always.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Before they left for the airport the next day to head home, they stopped by to see the girls one final time. Standing outside of Shaul’s bedroom door, Eddie sighed heavily, leaning against it to be sure she heard what he had to say. “Baby girl, I know you’re hurt and upset with me, but you need to listen to me, alright? One day, Shaul, one day you’re going to meet someone and you won’t be able to imagine your life without them. When that day comes, you will understand that things aren’t always clear or black and white.

“I’m not choosing Chris over you and your sister, though I know you think that’s exactly what I’m doing. What I am doing, though, is choosing my person, the one I want to be with through everything and who’s been with me through everything. And I know you know what I mean by that. I love you; I’ll always love you, _princesa_. I don’t care if you want to scream at me, but I do wish you’d at least let me see you. I don’t want something to happen to me and then you have to live with the last words you said to me.”

Chris paused on the stairs, watching as Eddie heaved another sigh before pushing away from the door and shaking his head as he walked away. “No luck?” he questioned in low voice.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the Latino glanced back at the firmly closed door. “None.” Shaking his head again as he began making his way down, he snagged Chris’ hand in his. “Come on, _querido_ , we’ve got a flight to catch.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, return to wrestling!


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angle gets an eyeful...and so does poor Chavo lmao

“God, I’m dreading tomorrow,” Chris muttered, getting a strange look from Eddie. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as happy for you and Chavo winning the titles together as I was the first time, but I’m not looking forward to working with Angle… again.” 

Recalling what Chris had told him about how Angle had made some blatantly unwanted advances towards him, Eddie scowled darkly. “He’s not going to like what happens when I get ahold of him in the ring for touching you.”

“I’m behind you a hundred percent in that,” Benoit agreed darkly, recalling how he’d wanted nothing more than to suplex Angle into a wall. Even if it had resulted in a ridiculously hot encounter with his lover in an empty room backstage, it didn’t mean he wanted to relive the first part again. Lost in thought as he tried to figure a way out of it, he was a little startled when he suddenly found himself pushed to his back, the Latino straddling his waist effortlessly. Blinking up at the other man in surprise, he went to automatically steady him only for Eddie to grab his wrists and pin them gently down on either side of his head.

“If he touches you, I guess I’ll just have to remind you who you belong to again,” Eddie stated playfully, staring down into Chris’ blue eyes.

_I’ll always belong to you._ The words were on the tip of his tongue, and judging by the fond look he was receiving, his lover knew it too. “Who says you have to wait that long?” Chris questioned breathlessly, infusing his tone with silent challenge.

A little taken aback at Chris’ willingness to go along with it, the Latino grinned, leaning down and capturing his mouth in a rough kiss. “I’m certainly not waiting,” he assured when they broke apart, pressing teasing kisses along his lover’s jaw and moving down his neck, drawing a pleased moan from the Canadian. “Unless you want me to?”

“Don’t you dare,” Benoit bit out, resisting the urge to break Eddie’s grip on his wrists, throw the other man to the bed and ravish him. With everything that had happened over the past year, to see his lover regaining some of his usual playfulness was a balm to Chris’ soul.

Biting down hard enough to be felt but not enough to leave a mark, Eddie smirked in triumph at the loud whine that left his lover. “You’re mine,” he told the Canadian pointedly, lifting his head for a moment and meeting Chris’ eyes. “You hear me?”

“Yours,” Chris agreed, feeling his heart rate pick up at the heated look in those brown eyes. “Only yours, always.”

Leaning down to kiss him again, Eddie released his grip momentarily to bring his hand to his lover’s face, tracing gentle fingers across a sharp cheekbone and down along the strong jawline. “ _Te amo,”_ he offered quietly, his earlier smirk softening into a warm smile.

Returning the smile, the Canadian looked back at him for a long moment. “ _Te queiro tambien_ ,” he finally returned, smile widening into a toothy grin when the Latino looked at him in surprise. “I think I said that right.”

Laughing, Eddie nodded and kissed him again. “We’ll work on that later,” he promised before turning mock thoughtful as he turned his attention to his half-dressed lover. “Now where were we? Oh yeah…”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Good match out there, Benoit!”

Knocking Angle’s hand from his shoulder, Chris turned the full force of his irritation on the other man. “If you touch me again, I will suplex you into a wall,” he growled, not lessening the glare as the Olympian held up his hands and backed up a step.

“Jeez, man I’m sorry. Won’t happen again,” Kurt protested, more than a little taken aback by the Canadian’s fierce anger. Perplexed, he watched the other man stalk away as backstage crew and other wrestlers moved out of his way. Shaking his head, he moved out of the way just as the doors opened to admit the Guerreros. Opening his mouth to congratulate the two Latino’s, he was met with a stony look from Eddie who brushed past him without a word. Looking at Chavo questioningly, the younger Latino shrugged helplessly. “Congratulations, you and Eddie deserve it.”

“Thanks _ese._ Don’t worry about _tio,_ I think he’s just… tired,” Chavo replied lamely, knowing full well the actual reason for Eddie’s irritation with the Olympian. He’d heard the dark mutterings in Spanish as Angle had tried to draw Chris into a hug in the ring, though even he’d noticed how the Canadian had tried to avoid it.

Angle simply shrugged. “Eh, at least he didn’t threaten to suplex me into a wall like Benoit did,” he remarked, turning to head to the locker room and missing Chavo’s barely suppressed snicker.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Finding Chris in the locker room unwinding the tape from his wrists, Eddie turned his best pleading expression on his lover. “You sure I can’t convince you to have a repeat?” he teased, watching as the other man turned as red as his tights. “I mean, _you_ remember it, but I don’t.”

“I’m sure,” Chris muttered, throwing the dingy tape into the trash before glancing at the Latino who was leaning against the door, watching him. “Besides, that was what last night was about.”

Laughing, Eddie pushed off the door and swaggered over the Canadian, who was watching him through slightly narrowed blue eyes. “I know,” he assured, running the hand that wasn’t holding his title belt down his lover’s bare chest with the barest hint of a scowl. “I should’ve hit him harder for putting his hands on you.”

“I threatened to suplex him into the wall when we got eliminated,” Benoit admitted with a huff, smiling crookedly when the Latino laughed before kissing him soundly.

When the kiss broke, Eddie smirked at him. “If you decide to do that, let me know so I can find a camera.” Smirk turning in a lascivious leer, he waggled his eyebrows at Chris pointedly. “You wanna share a shower? Maybe have a repeat that time in ECW?”

“God you’re incorrigible,” Chris muttered, shaking his head fondly before stealing another light kiss. “You really want to take the risk of like Chavo walking in on us?”

Making a face, the Latino conceded the point with a small headshake. “Sometimes I don’t like how reasonable you are,” he grumbled, stealing another kiss before taking a step back. “But you’re right, don’t want my nephew seeing what I’d rather keep to myself. Once we’re alone though…”

“I’m all yours. Just like always,” Benoit promised, reaching up and brushing a few stray strands of hair off his lover’s forehead. “You need to get cleaned up yourself, so we can get out of here.”

“ _Si_ , okay,” Eddie agreed, reaching out and snagging his lover’s hand and briefly squeezing before releasing it and backing up another step to go. “ _Te amo querido.”_

“ _Je t’aime aussi, mon amor,”_ the Canadian returned with a genuine smile, watching as the other man left before grabbing his bag and heading to the showers. Standing under the hot spray a few moments later, allowing the heat to sink into his muscles, he nearly jumped out of his skin at a sudden familiar touch. Eyes flying open, he stared in disbelief at his lover who just grinned back at him. “Eddie, what the hell?”

“Figured maybe you might change your mind if I was in here with you,” the Latino remarked, looping his arms around Chris’ neck and pressing himself along the front of the other man. “Besides, how was I supposed to go shower by my lonesome when I knew you were in here, all wet and naked?”

“Can’t exactly shower with clothes on,” Chris replied, shivering even with the hot water still cascading down around them. He could hardly think straight with his lover in front of him, a heated look in those brown eyes as they stared at him. ‘No’ was always an option, of course, but did he really want to take that route? “Did you even get someone to watch the door?”

Delighted, Eddie pulled him into a kiss, swallowing the surprised moan the other man couldn’t hold back. “Don’t worry, everyone’s busy watching the elimination chamber match,” he assured as the kiss broke, nuzzling along his lover’s jaw and down his neck. “No one’s going to walk in.” He hoped. “You want me to stop?”

“I d-didn’t say that,” Benoit stuttered out, tilting his neck as the Latino found a particularly sensitive spot along his collarbone. Any worries of anyone walking in on them were quickly disappearing under his lover’s ministrations. Hell, at this rate, a bomb could go off somewhere and he wouldn’t be able to find it within himself to care. Tired of the teasing touches, he grabbed Eddie’s hips and spun them around, pinning him to the wall.

_This certainly brings back some memories,_ Eddie thought to himself, unable to give voice to his thoughts as Chris captured his mouth in a long, heated kiss. Lifting one leg to hook over his lover’s hip, he used the other man’s shoulders for leverage to lift himself up with minimal assistance. Moaning into the kiss as his cock rubbed against the firm ridges of Benoit’s abs, they finally broke apart to breathe. “God, Chris.”

Kissing his way back up to the Latino’s ear, he bit back a moan as he felt blunt nails raking over his shoulders. “ _Attends qu’on revienne à l’hôtel, j’ai toutes sortes de projets pour toi,”_ Chris panted, unable to hide his grin at the full body shudder from the Latino. “ _Faites-vous tous étaler sur notre lit, vous goûter partout_.”

“ _Dios_ , baby, _tocame_ …” A loud whine escaped Eddie, bouncing off the tile as one of his lover’s hands wrapped around his erection. “Yes, just like that…”

Moaning low in his throat as his lover began pleading with him in a combination of Spanish and broken English, Benoit kissed him once again. “You going to come for me?” he mumbled against the other’s lips, smirking when the Latino whined again, nodding rapidly as he increased the speed of his strokes and swiped his thumb over the head. “Do it, come for me.”

Pulling Chris into a desperate kiss, he moaned low in his throat as he came, shuddering all over as his lover stroked him through the aftershocks. Breaking the kiss to breathe, he looked into wide, hot blue eyes a moment before saying in a low voice, “ _Te quiero dentro de mí en el momento en que estemos en nuestra habitación, cama, puerta, no me importa. Siempre te sientes tan bien, mi amor, nunca quiero que te vayas_.” A brief kiss. “Come on, baby, let me see you.”

Eyes falling closed as the softly spoken Spanish washed over him, Chris thrust against his lover once, twice, before he too was coming. Half collapsing against one another, they stayed like that for several minutes as their heart rates slowed to normal.

Grinning lazily, Eddie leaned his head back against the wall, looking up just as Kurt Angle walked in. The Olympian made a visible double take at seeing them, jaw dropping open in shock. “We’ll be done in a second, ese,” he called out, wiggling his fingers in a friendly wave.

Turning slightly, Chris looked over his shoulder and met the startled eyes of his tag partner. Too worn out to even attempt a blush, he just looked at the other man evenly. “You need something, Kurt?” he questioned calmly, both hearing and feeling Eddie begin to laugh merrily.

Looking ten shades of horrified and embarrassed, Angle backed up a step. “Sorry guys didn’t mean to interrupt,” he managed, keeping his gaze anywhere but at the two naked men currently entangled with one another. “I uh, I’ll let you finish or whatever. Sorry.” With that, he turned on his heel and practically ran from the showers.

Shaking his head, Chris backed up enough to help his lover stand upright on obviously still shaky legs. “Well, at least it wasn’t Chavo,” he began…

Just as the other Latino poked his head around the corner and caught an eyeful as well. _“¡Madre de Dios!_ You two couldn’t have waited?” Chavo complained, closing his eyes tightly and backing out of the shower. “Hurry up, man, I’ve got a pretty _mamacita_ waiting on me.”

Eddie only laughed harder as Benoit promptly turned a dark red, pulling his lover into a kiss. “Okay, maybe next time, I’ll wait til we get back to the hotel,” he conceded, dodging the irritated swat directed Chris at his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little shorter than some of the other chapters, but that happens sometimes I think. We'll be moving into 2003 next ;)
> 
> Tocame - Touch Me
> 
> Te quiero dentro de mí en el momento en que estemos en nuestra habitación, cama, puerta, no me importa. Siempre te sientes tan bien, mi amor, nunca quiero que te vayas - I want you inside me the moment we're in our room, bed, door, I don't care. You always feel so good, my love, I never want you to leave
> 
> Attends qu’on revienne à l’hôtel, j’ai toutes sortes de projets pour toi. Faites-vous tous étaler sur notre lit, vous goûter partout - Get you all spread out on our bed, taste you everywhere


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Royal Rumble '03, followed by some hurt/comfort fluff.

Standing in a quiet corner away from the other superstars awaiting their entrance to the rumble, Eddie frowned a little as he saw Chris rub at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. “I still think they should’ve let you win that one,” he grumbled quietly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Chris gave his lover a small smile, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug as he dropped his hand. “It’s fine, Eddie. I knew it was coming, but at least I got to kick his ass for a bit.”

Eddie made an agreeable noise, unable to deny that at least. It was always a treat to watch the other man wrestle and the standing ovation the match had received pleased him to no end. At least the fans recognized Chris’ talent, even if it was taking forever for him to get a decent push. It was coming, they both knew it, but didn’t make the waiting easier. “You maybe want a back rub later?” he questioned, running his hand over his lover’s shoulders lightly and grinning at the shiver the motion caused.

“You might want one after this,” Benoit pointed out, jerking his chin slightly at the wrestlers waiting their turn to join the rumble. Matt Hardy was waiting his turn, which meant shortly after he went out, it would be Eddie’s turn. “Go on, I’ll get our stuff together so we can get out of here sooner rather than later.”

Matt’s music hit, the older Hardy brother disappearing through the curtain to the roar of the crowd and Eddie nodded reluctantly. “Alright, I’m going. _Te amo querido._ ”

“ _Je t’aime aussi cher.”_

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Battered and sore, Eddie half-limped backstage unsurprised to immediately have Chris at his side. “I think I twisted my knee a little when Booker threw me out,” he muttered, looping an arm over his lover’s shoulders, allowing the other man to help him

“If I remember right, I think you did, but it’ll be fine by the morning,” Chris assured, getting a wan smile from the Latino. “You want to get checked out, just in case, or you just want to go back to the hotel?”

Making a face at the idea of one of the trainer’s fussing over him, Eddie shook his head. “Nah, if it’s still bothering me tomorrow, I’ll get it looked at.” When Benoit didn’t argue, he looked at him questioningly. “Not going to argue with me?”

“Would it do any good?” The Canadian retorted, steering them in the direction of the locker room where their stuff was half-packed and waiting. Helping the Latino down to the bench, Chris tossed him a shirt as he pulled one on himself. As he pulled it over his head, he caught the amused glint in his lover’s eyes and looked at him questioningly. “What?”

Smiling, the Latino nodded at the Latino Heat shirt Chris had inadvertently pulled on. “Looks good on you,” he joked, smile fading when the other man looked down and paused, clearly having a moment. “What is it?”

Opening his mouth to respond, Chris quickly shook his head as other wrestlers began filing in. “Tell you later,” he said quietly, helping his lover up and grabbing their bags in his free hand. A small half smile escaped him against his will at the sight of the ‘Toothless Aggression’ shirt he’d meant to grab for himself but had instead passed to Eddie. “Let’s get out of here.”

When they got in the car a few minutes later, Eddie looked over in concern as the Canadian paused, hands flexing on the steering wheel. “¿Estás bien?” he asked quietly as he reached over and put a hand on a tense shoulder.

“It’s uh, it’s just…” Benoit blew out a heavy breath, staring straight ahead without seeing. He could still recall going on RAW that night, wearing one of the ‘I’m your Papi’ shirts and breaking down crying hysterically memorializing his lover. “It just brought back some rough memories you know?”

Nodding quietly, Eddie squeezed the shoulder under his hand gently. “I’m sorry, _querido_ , I didn’t realize,” he replied quietly. “You going to be okay to drive?”

Shaking his head briefly to clear it, Chris nodded, glancing over at his lover with a small smile. “Yeah, sorry. How’s your knee?”

With a last concerned look at the other man, the Latino glanced down at his knee. “Aches, but it’s better,” he admitted after a moment’s consideration, removing his hand from Chris’ shoulder with a final squeeze as his lover started the car. After several minutes of silence as they navigated traffic, Eddie spoke again. “You know, it’s okay if you ever decide you want to talk about it.”

He knew Eddie meant well, and that his lover would indeed listen to him and try to help him work through it, but Chris didn’t think the other man would actually understand. How could he? He could still recall every little detail of that horrible day. Having to go on live television after seeing Eddie dead on the floor of a hotel room, utterly devastated, blaming himself for not being there, and more-or-less eulogize the man he loved. “I know,” he settled on saying at last, reaching for and getting Eddie’s hand in return. “I just… I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to talk. It… it was horrible, Eddie.”

Lacing their fingers together as they approached their hotel, the Latino nodded quietly. “Whenever you’re ready,” he assured with a gentle squeeze to his lover’s hand. They were silent as the Canadian found a parking space and pulled in, putting the car in park, and turning off the lights and ignition. “I love you.”

Chris looked over at him with a small half smile. “Love you too,” he replied quietly, exhaling slowly as he met the worried brown eyes looking at him. “I’m okay, honest.”

“Okay,” Eddie agreed with one last squeeze of their entwined hands before releasing his lover as they got out of the car. Wincing a little as his knee protested the movement, he turned his best pleading gaze at his lover, getting a reluctant laugh even as the other man moved to help him. Touch was always his go-to when attempting to reassure and while normally Chris would be overly reserved about physical affection in public, he also wouldn’t deny him when he was hurt.

Luckily, being as late as it was, there was only the desk clerk who barely looked up as they entered and crossed the lobby. Waiting on the elevator, Eddie leaned into Chris subtly, smiling a little when he got a side-eye in return. The doors opened with a ding, and they maneuvered themselves inside. Letting the Latino rest against the wall, Benoit reached out and hit the button for their floor. “I’ll get you some ice while you’re in the shower,” he stated as he came back to rest beside his lover while the elevator began its ascent.

True to his word, as Eddie got into the shower, Chris went and retrieved the ice. By the time he’d returned, his lover was stretched out on the bed in his boxers, flipping through bad late-night TV. “You sure you’re alright, _querido_?” he questioned softly, watching as the other man methodically put ice in a damp towel before offering it to him quietly.

Sitting down heavily on the side of the bed beside his lover, Benoit shook his head slowly. “Not really,” he finally admitted with a heavy sigh, scrubbing one hand over his face. “Maybe I should talk about it, I don’t know. I don’t even like _thinking_ about it.” A quick glance at his lover showed the other man watching him patiently, obviously willing to listen but also not pushing for him to speak. “You… you really want to hear it?”

“Yes and no.” At the confused look from Chris, Eddie shrugged helplessly. “I want to for you if it’ll help you in some way to talk about it. I _don’t_ want to because well, we’re talking about me dying, ¿ _tu sabes_? I can see it’s bothering you and I don’t know how else to help you.”

“You’ve been helping me from the beginning,” Chris protested, turning himself to face his lover completely and taking one of Eddie’s hands in his. “You’ve believed me, you’ve helped me change things for people like Owen. You’re sober, have been for going on six years. This time with you, being with you and able to tell you things I should’ve been telling you the first time? You can’t imagine how what all this has meant to me.”

“Means a lot to me too, you know,” the Latino replied quietly, running his thumb over top Chris’ knuckles. “I just think maybe if you talked with me about it, it could help. You had multiple traumatic experiences, all of them revolving around me.” Noting the look on his lover’s face, he fought the urge to roll his eyes. “And don’t tell me they weren’t traumatic, or that they weren’t that bad, or I’ll smack you one.”

Huffing a small laugh, Benoit nodded reluctantly. “We’d gone there for what they called a super show or something. It was supposed to have wrestlers from both RAW and SmackDown, since both were going to be in town. Everyone… everyone knew pretty quickly what had happened. So… so RAW turned into a giant tribute show to you. They gave some of us one of your shirts to wear, not this one,” he remarked, pointing at the shirt he was still wearing, “they’ll come out with one that says I’m your papi, or something.”

Laughing despite the seriousness of the conversation, Eddie shook his head in amusement. “Really?” he asked, snickering when Chris nodded, even looking a little amused himself.

“I think it started because of a storyline you and Rey do leading into SummerSlam ’05. Something about you trying to claim you’re his son’s father?” A genuine, loud laugh escaped Chris at the scandalized look on Eddie’s face. “I don’t know why but it happens.”

“Rey and Angie actually go with it?” his lover questioned, moving the makeshift icepack off his knee, and handing it to Chris when he reached for it.

Getting up to put the half-melted ice in the bathroom sink, Chris nodded as he walked back in the room and sat down again. “Vickie and the girls even got involved too. It ends up as a ladder match, where the custody papers or whatever are in a briefcase. Vickie actually pushed you off the ladder so Rey could win the match.”

“ _Jesucristo_.” Eddie huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. “And of course, the _idiotas_ that call themselves creative don’t realize _papi_ doesn’t mean dad or father. It’s an affectionate term. Hell, you should know that! I’ve called you that before.”

“Once or twice,” Benoit agreed with a nod. “You usually go for _querido_ , though.”

Softening a little despite himself, the Latino smiled a little at that. “ _Eres mi querido, ¿por qué no lo haría?”_ he remarked casually, his smile growing at the slight pink in his lover’s cheeks before it faded a little. “You want to go on or you want to stop?”

“Let me take a shower first.” Leaning forward, Chris brushed a quick kiss over his lover’s mouth before standing and heading towards the bathroom. He didn’t want to voice that he’d need the other man to hold onto him for this next part, but he had a feeling that maybe Eddie knew. Coming out minutes later, he pulled on some clean sweatpants and padded back into the main room.

Sure enough, the Latino opened his arms and beckoned him close. “Come here.”

Stretching out on the open side of the bed, he immediately cuddled in close to his lover, resting his head on the other man’s chest. The steady beat of Eddie’s heart reassured him even more than the arms tightening around him, allowing him to continue. “Vickie… she gave me some of the ones you used to wear out to the ring. I could barely look at them, didn’t even want to wash them because a couple of them still smelled like you. That’s why tonight… wearing this one… it just brought all that back.”

_My poor querido. I’m so sorry baby,_ Eddie thought to himself, leaning down and pressing a kiss into Chris’ hair. They lay there in silence for a few minutes, the tv droning on in the background. “I’m not going anywhere,” he assured quietly, feeling Chris tighten his grip around his stomach briefly. “I don’t care if you have to physically drag me to a doctor’s office if you think I’m getting sick, do it. I won’t leave you again, not if I can help it.” _Don’t make me leave him again, God. He can’t take that a second time, my girls can’t take it. I’ll do whatever it takes, just please. **Please.**_

A small laugh made escaped Chris before he could stop it. “I’ll hold you to that,” he muttered in a slightly shaky tone, feeling Eddie’s chest rumble with laughter beneath his ear. “And don’t think I won’t get your mom involved either, because I will.”

“Oh, now you know that’s not fair,” Eddie protested with a laugh, making Chris lift his head and look at him. “You really going to do that to me?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“You’re mean, I just want you to know that,” the Latino groused, though he couldn’t help but smile at seeing his lover in a lighter mood. “You feeling any better now, baby?”

Benoit nodded, leaning in to give his lover a kiss. “Little bit, yeah.” Feeling his cheeks heat up, he dropped his gaze briefly. “Don’t suppose you maybe want to put me in an even better mood?”

“I don’t know, threatening to bring _mi madre_ into things, that was just mean.” A gasp escaped Eddie as his lover toyed with the waist of his boxers, fingers dipping under the elastic teasingly. “But uh, if you want to make up for it, don’t let me stop you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next couple of chapters are all in 2003
> 
> Estás bien - You okay?
> 
> tu sabes - you know?
> 
> Eres mi querido, ¿por qué no lo haría? - You're my dearest, why wouldn't I? 
> 
> mi madre - my mother


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to google average temps in Edmonton, so if it's wrong, blame google haha. I'm playing fast and loose with how many days off they get in a year, but eh, it's fanfic so who cares? This starts in June 2003, goes through Vengeance and No Mercy and then ends in December.

While he’d never fully adjusted to the heat of Georgia, sometimes it was worth living down here in the states. Like now, laying on a chaise lounge in the late afternoon with Eddie in his lap, made it a hundred percent worth it. A rare couple of days off had come up, so they’d decided to fly home and spend some much-needed time to themselves. Trading lazy kisses back and forth, Chris basked in the knowledge that he and Eddie could do as they pleased for the next forty-eight hours. “Oh, yeah, so you ready to be a double champ this year?” he asked, laughing a little when his lover blinked at him in surprise.

“Wait, what?” When his lover nodded at him, the Latino stared at him in shocked silence for a moment. “Seriously?”

“They bring back the US title from WCW, you’ll beat me for it at Vengeance next month and then you and Chavo will win back the tag belts in… I think September?” Taking note of the look in his lover’s eyes, Chris shook his head a little. “Don’t worry about it, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Eddie replied stubbornly with his own head shake. While the titles and the acknowledgements were great, it never got easier to see Chris consistently overlooked. “You deserve your chance too, _querido.”_

“And I’m getting mine next year. Remember our Mania moment?” Benoit reminded him calmly, settling his hands on the Latino’s hips and rubbing his thumbs along the bare skin of his sides soothingly. “So, it’s okay, I promise.”

Still frowning a little, the Latino nodded reluctantly. “You’re really not upset?” he questioned softly, trailing his fingers along the other man’s collarbone. When Chris shook his head again, he shrugged in silent concession. “If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.” A beat. “Just don’t you dare tease me when we’re in that ring together again.”

“That happened one time!” Eddie protested with a loud laugh, smiling widely when Chris returned his smile even as his cheeks turned pink. “Besides, you know you enjoyed what happened afterwards.”

“I don’t think Dean’s ever forgiven us for that,” Chris remarked, sharing another laugh with his lover before quieting as he recalled how he’d be heading to RAW next year after the Royal Rumble. “You going to be alright when I jump to RAW next year?”

This time it was Eddie’s turn to be quiet. “I’ll miss sleeping next to you,” he offered quietly, “but it’ll be worth it in the end, I think. We’ll get our moment at ‘mania, and then we get married like a month later.”

“I’m really looking forward to that part,” Benoit confessed with a smile, getting one in return. “I think after we make sure nothing happens, maybe we can take some time off.”

“Go on a late honeymoon?” the Latino teased with a small laugh, moving to half sprawl over his lover. Folding his hands over Chris’ chest, he propped his head on them to be able to look the other man in the face. “Where you want to go?”

“I already know your only requirement is somewhere warm,” the Canadian replied with a small laugh, running one hand across his lover’s shoulders idly. “Other than that, I don’t know. For all I care, we can hole up here in our bedroom and not come out for a week.”

“I’m good with that too.” Eddie’s stomach chose that moment to remind them that it was getting close to dinner time and he sat up reluctantly. “Much as I’m enjoying this, _querido_ , I think it’s time we head inside.”

“Yeah. You want to cook or you want me to?”

“I’ll cook tonight if you cook breakfast.”

“Deal.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Battered and sore, Eddie promptly allowed himself to fall onto the bed. As much fun as it was to wrestle one another, they never allowed their personal feelings to interfere with the match. Chris falling in beside him a moment later made him reluctantly turn his head to look at the other man. “You okay there, _querido_?”

Laughing reluctantly, Chris turned his head to look at his lover. “Fucking everything hurts. I always love wrestling you, _chéri , _but damn. Maybe one of these days we need to pull it back a little.”

“You know as well as I do that won’t happen. That’s what makes our matches together so good,” Eddie remarked, lifting one hand in a protesting wave. “I don’t even want to move for like the next three days.”

They shared a pained laugh before going quiet for several minutes. “I think we might owe poor Mike an apology,” Benoit finally spoke, mentally cringing at the damage they’d done to the ref. Scripted or not, the blows they’d landed on Mike Chioda had undoubtedly hurt.

“ _Sí, probablemente_ ,” the Latino agreed with a pained sigh, reluctantly moving to his side even as his muscles protested loudly at the movement. “Tuesday, we’ll talk to him.” Inching closer, he nudged Chris’ arm pointedly.

Lifting his arm even as his shoulder screamed at him, the Canadian allowed his lover to move in close to him before dropping it back around the other man. “This what you wanted?”

“What I really want we’re both too sore for,” Eddie returned, huffing a small laugh at the sudden pink tinge to his lover’s cheeks. Stretching his neck a little, he brushed a kiss over Chris’ mouth with a sigh. “ _Te amo, querido_.”

“Hm, love you too,” Chris muttered sleepily, eyes falling closed as he felt himself relax. Within minutes, the two were sound asleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” Eddie mumbled into the pillow a couple months later, wincing a little as he shifted, trying to get comfortable. His back felt like it was on fire, the match with Big Show had definitely not helped it in any way. Such was the life of a pro wrestler, though. He jumped, then winced as the motion jarred his back before letting out a pleased moan at the feel of a cold towel being draped over him.

Chris half smiled at his lover’s back, running a hand over an exposed shoulder gently. “Is that helping any?” he questioned, his voice still rough from his match with A-Train. His neck was making it abundantly clear that the hat trick of German suplexes he’d landed after being dropped on his head had been a bad idea.

“Sí, gracias,” the Latino answered with a sigh, frowning a little when he saw Chris rubbing at his neck. “You should’ve gotten that checked.”

“I just torqued it a little, I’ll be okay.” Benoit sighed at the dark look he got in return. “I promise, it’s not that bad. You’re in worse shape than I am right now.”

Gracing Chris with a baleful look, Eddie couldn’t deny that he was obviously the worse off of the two of them. “You know something? You never did tell me who I drop the title to next year.”

“Hm? Oh, Bradshaw.”

Bradshaw? _Bradshaw?_ “That _pendejo_? Are you kidding me?” At the headshake he received, the Latino made a disgusted sound in his throat. Fucking Bradshaw. Ugh. Taking note of the look on his lover’s face, he closed his eyes briefly. “What is it?”

“It’s not all bad. The character makeover after APA splits kind of goes to his head a little, but one of my favorite spots of yours comes out of it at least,” Chris remarked, moving to stretch out on the bed beside his lover.

Reaching back to throw the now warm towel off of him, Eddie moved in closer to the other man’s body heat. “Oh yeah?”

Laughing, the Canadian nodded, rolling to his side and running a light touch over his lover’s back. “Yeah, for some reason they bust out the Mexican chauffer stereotype. I know, I know, but you trash his limo and he’ll get out of the back completely covered in salad. And you’re just propped up on the corner ropes of the ring, watching him and grinning.”

Rolling his eyes at the blatantly racist stereotype, he still managed a content hum at the featherlight touches along his back. “Because of course they do,” he half grumbled in irritation. “Who do you drop yours to?”

“Orton jr.” Off his lover’s look, Benoit shrugged as best he could while laying on his side. “I plan on using it as leverage to go back to SmackDown this time. I’ll agree to put him over without complaint as long as I can go back to be with you.”

“Can’t believe they’re putting the title on that arrogant little jerk. Don’t get me wrong, the kid’s good, but he needs some work.”

“Once he loses some of the arrogance, he’ll be damn good. You have to admit, though, it’s the most likely scenario to go back to SmackDown once I drop the title.”

“ _Sí, es verdad_ ,” Eddie agreed reluctantly, still unhappy about how quickly they lose their titles after fighting tooth and nail to get the damn things. “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“What are we doing for Christmas? I know we have a couple days off around that time. If you want, we can go see your kids?”

Chris looked back at him evenly. “You want to go to Canada in December?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows incredulously. “You, who hates cold weather?”

“ _Discúlpame_ for trying to be nice. We go see my kids enough, figured I’d offer.”

“I’m not against it, Eddie, I’m just saying. I know how much you hate the cold.”

Lifting his head a little, the Latino grinned at the other man playfully. “Like I won’t have you to keep me warm,” he teased, getting a fond eyeroll in return. “So what do you say?”

“I’m fine with it, I just don’t think you know what you’re getting into.”

“How bad can it be?”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Bad, it was very bad. Staring at the snow swirling around outside of Edmonton International Airport, Eddie wanted to turn tail and go home. Of course, if he do that, Chris would never let him hear the end of it. Cutting his eyes to the man in question, he could see the glint of amusement in his lover’s blue eyes. “I take it back, it’s bad.”

“You’ll be fine,” Chris assured, trying to keep from laughing at the despondent look the Latino was casting at the snow. Reaching out and pulling his lover close, he glanced around to make sure no one was really paying any attention to them before saying in a low voice, “I’ll warm you up later, okay?”

“You’d better.” With that, he allowed the Canadian to lead him outside to their waiting rental car. The icy wind seemed to cut through the heavy jacket he’d been bundled into, and he mentally began cursing the fact that he’d even suggested this. His lover didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, finding their car and opening the door for him first. Shivering so hard his teeth were chattering, he didn’t even make a joke about Chris’ chivalrous manner.

Closing the door behind Eddie, Chris couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he unlocked the trunk to load their suitcases. _How bad can it be?_ He heard Eddie’s voice in his head from back in October, when the other man had first brought up the idea of coming to Edmonton for Christmas. Slamming the trunk shut, he composed his features as he moved around to the driver’s side. “Regretting it yet?” he teased, getting a dark look as he cranked the car up.

The moment the engine was running, Eddie almost lunged for the climate controls, blasting the heat desperately. “I still don’t know how you lived here for so long,” he managed, fighting to take his jacket off as the car began warming up. “Glad we live in Atlanta; it don’t do _loco_ shit like this down there.”

Trying and failing to hold back a smile, Chris reached over and grabbed one of his lover’s cold hands. “I know you don’t like the snow, but I really appreciate you coming with me,” he stated softly, lacing their fingers together.

“You come with me to Texas all the time,” the Latino pointed out, still shivering occasionally but thawing out by increments as the heat kicked in fully. “Seemed like the least I could do.” Glancing out the window at the snow on the ground, he shook his head in dismay. “It’s not going to be like this when we come up here in a few months to get married, right?”

Benoit shook his head. “It’ll be April, so no, it won’t be like this. Still cold, but it won’t be cold enough for snow. Probably somewhere in the 50’s”

Silence descended. By the time they reached the hotel, Eddie was mostly warm and dreading getting back into the cold for even a couple of minutes. “Don’t ever doubt how much I love you,” he mumbled, releasing his lover’s hand to pull his coat back on as Chris put the car in park. A sudden hand on his face made him turn and look at the other man, eyes going wide in surprise as Chris pulled him into a kiss.

“ _Je n’ai jamais douté et je n’en douterai jamais_ ,” Benoit told him softly, brushing his thumb over Eddie’s cheek. “Come on, I’ll warm you up when we get to our room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: 2004! 
> 
> Je n’ai jamais douté et je n’en douterai jamais - I never doubted it and I never will doubt it.
> 
> Discúlpame - Excuse me
> 
> Sí, probablemente - Yeah, probably


	23. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We move pretty quickly from their last night on the same roster to WrestleMania XX and then just before Backlash in this chapter.

“You’re really going to be okay without me?”

Curled in close to his lover’s body heat, Eddie nodded a little reluctantly. Tomorrow meant the Royal Rumble and the following day meant Chris would be going to RAW. They’d known this way coming, but both of them had been dreading it. “I’ll be fine, _querido_ ,” he assured, wishing he could do something, anything to take away the worried look he knew was in those blue eyes. “It’ll all work out, yeah?”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Chris mumbled, pulling his lover as close as he could as though he was trying to turn them into one being. It would be worth it to not just have that WrestleMania moment together again, but also to get married less than a month later. All this time with Eddie, being together every day and night, was going to make this separation difficult for both of them. “Going to miss sleeping next to you.”

“Going to miss having you keeping me warm,” the Latino agreed, getting a small laugh from the Canadian. “But I swear to you, baby, I’ll be fine.”

Benoit nodded reluctantly. “I know you will,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s bare shoulder, thumb moving idly over the muscles of his lover’s stomach. He didn’t know if it was their pending separation, or the looming specter of time that was making him even more worried for his lover than usual. The Latino could take care of himself, of that Chris had no doubts. Plus, with Chavo Sr joining the roster for a bit, his lover would have one more person keeping an eye on him.

Putting his arm over Chris’ where it rested over his stomach, Eddie laced their fingers together loosely. “You’re still worried,” he pointed out softly, feeling the arm beneath his tense briefly before relaxing. “It’ll be alright, _mi amo. I’ll_ be alright. _”_

_God, I hope so._ Tears blurred his vision briefly before Chris blinked them away. Eddie would be okay; he’d have to be okay. Not just for him, but for Shaul and Sherilyn too. He’d even begun praying to a God he wasn’t sure he truly even believed in but the man in his arms believed, and that was good enough for him. “I love you,” he finally settled on saying, the words feeling inadequate to truly convey the depth of his affection.

Moving his arm, the Latino shifted and turned to face his lover, bringing his hand to Chris’ face. “It’ll be okay,” he tried to assure, taking note of the wetness of his beloved’s eyes, feeling his own stinging in response. Drawing the other man into a soft kiss, he smiled softly at the love radiating from the other man. “We just have to have faith, you know?”

On the verge of tears, Benoit nodded reluctantly. “I know,” he replied with a small sigh, closing his eyes briefly. The only things he’d ever really had faith in were the man in his arms and the overpowering love he felt for him. Opening his eyes again, he tried and failed to smile. “I’m trying.”

Eddie nodded a little sadly. “I know baby.” It was hard, seeing his usually strong and stoic lover so obviously hurting and not being able to do anything about it. “What do you need?”

Chris blinked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Feeling helpless, the Latino shrugged as best he could lying on his side. “I can see you’re upset,” he pointed out, giving his lover a look when Chris would have denied it. “Tell me how to help.”

“I… I don’t know,” Benoit admitted after a minute. He could hardly articulate it in his own mind, let alone to the one person he could always rely on and could tell anything to. “I feel so damn powerless, Eddie, like we’re putting a band aid on a fatal wound. Things have changed, yeah, but there’s so much that hasn’t and I’m fucking terrified. I don’t ever remember being this scared, not when your car accident happened, not when I had surgery on my neck and didn’t think I’d wrestle again.”

“Hey, hey, hey, look at me. Look at me, baby,” Eddie coaxed, brushing the back of his knuckles along a stubbled cheek. “Take a deep breath with me. It’s okay to be scared, I am too.” He was also a little resigned to the fact that things might not work the way they were hoping but wouldn't tell Chris that. “Whatever is going to happen will happen and making yourself sick over it won’t help either of us. You and I, we’re going to do this together.”

Together. Right. Okay. Chris took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly through his nose. “You mean everything to me, you know that?” he questioned softly, getting a warm smile in return. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”

“Stop apologizing for something you can’t control,” the Latino scolded gently, leaning in, and brushing another kiss over his lover’s mouth.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The months and weeks leading up to WrestleMania frankly sucked for both of them. Most days they were able to speak on the phone, checking in on one another. On the exceedingly rare occasion, one of them might be able to sneak away after their match or after a taping which allowed them to spend the night together. On those times, they were usually too exhausted from travelling or wrestling to do more than kiss, cuddle and pass out. 

Tomorrow, they’d be on their way to two separate cities again but at least tonight they’d be together again. Frankly, Eddie thought, he was looking more forward to that than their long-awaited moment in the middle of the ring in Madison Square Garden. The moment Hunter tapped to the crossface, a bloodied mess just as Chris had said, he began moving before he was even aware of it. The next thing he was aware of, he was in the ring, watching Chris jump down from the second rope and turn, stopping dead.

Pulling Eddie into his arms at WrestleMania for the second time, Chris closed his eyes, relishing the moment. “I told you,” he muttered, hearing the Latino laugh in his ear before the briefest kiss was brushed against his cheek again. God, everything they’d been through to get to this moment (again) made it worth it. “ _Je t’aime, mon amor.”_

“ _Te quiero tambien, mi amo_ ,” Eddie assured quietly, hugging the man in his arms tightly before releasing him, raising Chris’ hand high in triumph. The crowd practically screamed as they stood there, belts raised high in their other hands. After several moments like that, they finally began making their way out of the ring.

Exhausted, covered in sweat and confetti, Chris allowed Eddie to help him up the ramp. Pausing at the top, they lifted their entwined hands and the belts one final time to the pleased roar of the crowd. Ducking back through the curtain to the applause and congratulations of their fellow wrestlers. Even Triple H, face still bloody, shook his hand before being ushered to the trainer’s room along with Shawn, who flashed him a tired grin and a thumbs up.

The moment they were alone in the locker room, Eddie grabbed Chris’ face in both his hands, pulling him into a desperate kiss. “I’m so proud of you, _mi querido,_ ” the Latino breathed, bringing their foreheads together and grinning like a complete fool. Sure, Chris had told him how this WrestleMania would go, but to actually see it? To bear witness to the man he loved and would marry in just shy of a month, winning the title that had eluded him for so long and to be able to step into the ring and celebrate together? Nothing could’ve prepared him for that.

“I told you,” Chris replied with a breathless laugh, dropping the belt to bring his own hands up to his lover’s face and pulling him in for another kiss. “I need a shower.”

“I can come with you, wash your back,” Eddie suggested, waggling his eyebrows then laughing as Benoit turned pink and shook his head fondly. “Go on, go wash off. I’ll make you all sweaty again when we get back to our room.”

Releasing each other, Chris picked the belt up off the floor and handed it to his lover. “You mind getting my stuff together for me?” he questioned, smiling crookedly when the other man nodded. “Gets us out of here that much faster.”

“Of course, _querido_ , we’ve got plans for these belts after all,” Eddie replied with a wicked smirk, laughing again when the Canadian flushed a darker red, dodging the playful swat aimed at his head. “Go on, then. I’ll get your stuff.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

**A month later, day before Backlash 2004**

“Why aren’t you dressed?”

Chris looked down at his simple button-down shirt and new jeans for a second before looking back at Nancy in confusion. “I am dressed.”

“No, you are not,” she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms, and staring him down with her best ‘I am Woman’ stare. “You can’t seriously tell me you’re about to get married in _jeans_.”

“We’re just going to the courthouse,” Chris protested helplessly as she moved over to his bags and began rooting through them. “Why are you in here anyway?”

“Eddie stepped out to call Chavo,” she remarked as she looked over at her shoulder at him, “good thing too, because that?” She gestured at his clothes. “That isn’t happening.” Pulling out a pair of dress slacks and a jacket, she eyed it critically for a second before nodding, shoving it in his arms. “Go change!”

Surrendering with an irritated huff, he marched back into the bathroom to change. “You going to write my vows for me too?” he muttered as he closed the door and unbuttoned his jeans, jumping a moment later as she threw the door open. “Jesus, Nancy, what the fuck?”

“YOU HAVEN’T WRITTEN YOUR VOWS?” She nearly shrieked, jaw falling open when he just looked sheepish. “Christopher Benoit!”

Holding his jeans up, he shrugged and avoided her gaze. “I wouldn’t even know what to say,” he stated a little miserably. Eddie was the one who was always good with words, not him, no matter what the Latino tried telling him. “Hell, I don’t even know if he’s written any or plans on saying anything.”

Frowning, Nancy closed the door for him to finish getting ready. “I can think of something if you really need me too,” she finally called after a minute, continuing to fish through his bag for a tie. “But I think Eddie would rather hear whatever you say to come from you.” When the Latino strolled back in a moment later, she rounded on him in a split second. “Did you write your vows?”

Looking between Chris, who was coming out of the bathroom straightening his jacket, and Nancy, he blinked at the both of them in surprise. “We were supposed to do that?” he asked, gaze flicking to Chris who just raised his eyebrows back at him.

Making a noise of frustration, she stomped over to Benoit, looping the fabric for the tie around his neck and beginning to tie it for him. “Jesus, you two are going to drive me crazy by the time this is all said and done,” she grumbled, tightening the knot, and straightening it and the collar of his shirt to her satisfaction. Looking at her watch, she gave both of them a look. “We have exactly one hour, ONE HOUR, before you two need to be there. In that time, you two better prepare some vows because otherwise, I will kick both of your asses back to the US. Got it? I have to finish getting ready.” With a hair toss worthy of a shampoo commercial, she headed to the door. Turning back when she reached it, she pointed and glared at each of them in turn before leaving.

Silence descended between the two men for several long seconds after the door closed. “Was she like that when you two got married?” Eddie asked in a low voice in case she was still outside in the hall.

“Not that I can remember.” A beat. “You really didn’t come up with anything?”

“I didn’t think we needed to,” the Latino protested weakly, running a hand through his hair. “I mean, it’s just a courthouse thing. I thought we would go, sign the papers, exchange rings and that was it, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Hurricane Nancy disagrees.” They shared a laugh at that before Chris sighed heavily. “Guess we need to come up with something before she carries through with that threat.”

Moving in close to Chris, Eddie reached out and touched his face, catching his soon to be husband’s attention. “Hey. Anything you say doesn’t need to be perfect, alright? The only thing that matters is that it comes from you and no one else, okay, _querido_?”

_You deserve perfect._ The knowing look in those brown eyes made Benoit smile crookedly before he nodded in assent. “Okay.”

Standing before the Justice of the Peace a little over an hour later, Chris still hadn’t come up with what he felt were the right words. God, why was this so hard? It was Eddie he was marrying, after all, and he knew that no matter what, the Latino would stick by what he’d said earlier. It didn’t have to be perfect; it didn’t have to be anything particularly grand or special, so long as it came from him. Lifting his gaze back to the warm brown eyes that practically glowed at him with love and affection, he knew in that moment exactly what to say. When it came time for them to speak, Eddie went to begin but Benoit beat him to it. “I’ve been trying to think of what to say the entire way here and up to this very moment, I couldn’t think of the right things to say. Standing here before you, the only thing I can do is tell you how much you mean to me.”

“Eddie, you know me better than anyone else in this world, and somehow, you still manage to love me. We’ve seen each other through everything the universe has thrown at us and we’ve come through it the same way we’ve done everything else: together. You’re my best friend, my partner in everything, and the one I love with everything I am and everything I’ll ever be. It doesn’t matter what lifetime or whether we’re together or apart, my soul will always love your soul. _Je t’aime de tout mon cœur, toujours_.”

Blinking, it took Eddie several moments to regain the ability to speak. “I ever hear you say you’re not good with words again, I’m smacking you one,” he joked, getting a small laugh and a faint pinkening of the cheeks from his husband before sobering and squeezing the hands in his. “Chris. Our love for one another makes us the best versions of ourselves, and for that I will always be grateful to God that he put you in my life. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know you will hold me in the future, and that is all that matters to me. I promise to stand beside you for all eternity, in this life and the next. Just as you accept me for who I am, I accept you for who you are. _Te amo con todo mi corazón, siempre._ ”

Sniffling back tears, Nancy managed to pass them their rings a moment later, beginning to fan at her eyes to keep herself from crying. “Don’t mind me, guys,” she said in a watery voice at their concerned looks, taking a step back and motioning them to continue. “Sorry. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

By the time they finished exchanging rings and were officially pronounced married, Nancy was full on crying. “Wait, wait, I have to get a picture,” she sobbed out, rummaging through her purse for the camera she’d brought along solely for this purpose. Snapping the picture quickly, she exchanged the camera for a compact mirror and wiped away any stray tears, checking her makeup. “Thank God for waterproof mascara, or I’d be over here looking like my old Fallen Angel gimmick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut out a couple of smut scenes simply because I'm closing in on the finish and would much rather advance the plot than write back to back smut chapters. Sorry, not sorry. *shrugs*
> 
> Nancy was actually in the crowd at Backlash 2004 with David and Daniel, hence why she acts as their witness here. 
> 
> Je t’aime de tout mon cœur, toujours. - I love you with my whole heart, forever.
> 
> Te amo con todo mi corazón, siempre. - I love you with all my heart, forever.


	24. Chapter 23

Eddie swayed on his feet, taken aback by the sudden appearance of his husband at his hotel room. “What’re you doing here, Chris?” he mumbled, practically falling into the Canadian’s arms. “Sorry, think the blood loss is still getting to me.”

Resisting the urge to go punch JBL’s teeth down his throat as he saw the angry looking stitches on his husband’s forehead, Chris chose to focus instead on Eddie. “Chavo called me, said you’d been hurt blading,” he replied, looping one of Eddie’s arms around his neck and steering them back into the room. Helping the Latino to settle in the bed, he brushed some stray strands of hair back, looking into dazed brown eyes. “I had almost forgotten, was trying to call you before the match to warn you.”

“That bad?” Eddie questioned, watching through half lidded eyes as his husband got undressed and climbed into bed with him. The moment the other man was under the covers with him, he curled in close to Chris’ body heat with a happy sigh. Sure, the match had turned into a blood bath and he wasn’t feeling so hot, but it was worth it to have his husband with him for the night.

“You’ll be feeling pretty shitty for a couple of weeks,” Chris told him, pressing a small kiss just below the stitches before bringing their mouths together. “Chavo’s already agreed to watch out for you, so has Rey and Dean.”

Making a small noise of discontent at the idea of his nephew and their friends hovering over him, he nonetheless melted into the other’s warm embrace. “ _Seguro_ , okay,” he finally said, yawning hugely and already half asleep. “ _Te amo, mi querido_.”

Smiling despite himself as the Latino relaxed into sleep, Chris pressed another kiss to a stubbled cheek. “ _Je t’aime aussi, mon mari.”_

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“So, listen Benoit, about SummerSlam,” Hunter began one day in mid-July, trailing off when the Canadian raised a hand to stop him.

“I’ll drop the belt to Orton, put him over cleanly for you,” Chris replied calmly, continuing to do his warmup without missing a beat. The dumbfounded look on Hunter’s face made him wish briefly for a camera, because Eddie would surely find it absolutely hilarious. “Please, everyone knows that’s what you’re planning. I have a condition and it’s not about a rematch: I want to go back to SmackDown as soon as possible after.”

Feeling strangely off kilter for the first time in recent memory, the man known as Triple H stared at his fellow wrestler in surprise. “Why?” he finally asked in confusion. Why the hell would someone want to go _back_ to what was largely considered by everyone the b-show? “You know that would take you out of contention for RAW’s belt.”

Rolling his eyes, Chris rose to his feet, looking up at the bigger man. “Hunter, you and I both know I’m not getting that title back once I drop it,” he pointed out realistically, shaking his head when the other man went to deny it. “Deny it all you want, but I’m not Vince’s ‘type’ and everyone knows it.”

Feeling ten kinds of an asshole, Hunter pushed his hair back with one hand, nodding with a sigh. There really was no use denying that Chris, while one hell of a wrestler, wasn’t going to get a push beyond what he’d gotten already. “I’m sorry, man, I wish things were different,” he apologized, lifting his shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I can see about getting you in a different title push if you want to stay here – “

“That’s not why I want to leave RAW,” Chris interrupted, huffing a little impatiently with himself. He hadn’t hidden the fact that he’d gotten married, though most of the roster assumed it was to Nancy after seeing her in the crowd at Backlash earlier this year with his son David. “If you really want to know, it’s because I want to be with my husband, alright? Eddie and I got married in Edmonton before Backlash.”

“Wait, wait. What?” Seeing the look on Chris’ face, Hunter blurted out incredulously, “You’re serious?” At a complete loss as the other man nodded firmly, he felt more shocked than he had when Shawn had kissed him the first time on a drunken dare from Scott. “You and Guerrero… got married.”

_Man, Eddie, I **really** wish you were here to see the look on his face right now. Or hell, even Joanie. She’d be on the floor laughing._ “That’s what I said.”

“Fucking Christ, Vince is going to have a coronary,” Hunter muttered, rubbing at his eyes with one hand as the beginnings of a migraine began pounding in his head.

“Look, it happened, it’s done. If it means our jobs, so be it. I’m sure Jarrett or New Japan would love to have us back,” Chris bit out in irritation, lifting his chin defiantly at the startled look in the bigger man’s eyes.

“I didn’t say that so you can calm down,” Hunter remarked, holding up a placating hand before the Canadian could continue. “Jesus, give me a minute to think. You just kind of sprung this on me, man.” A beat. “I thought you were with Nancy.”

Chris shook his head. “No, Nancy and I are just friends. She came up as our witness and my son wanted to see the show, so she offered to sit with him since his mom and sister didn’t want to come.” He was quiet for a moment as Hunter digested that. “Is it going to be an issue, me going back to SmackDown?”

“No but you and Eddie getting married might be,” Hunter stated bluntly as he moved over to a weight bench and sat down heavily. Tugging at his hair, he allowed the momentary sting to help him organize his thoughts. “Who else knows, besides you two and Nancy?”

“Outside of maybe Chavo and now you? No one that works for the company.” He shrugged uncomfortably, feeling his cheeks heat up a little. “I’m sure most people know we’re lovers at least, but we try to be discreet. Unlike you and Michaels or even your buddies Nash and Hall for that matter.”

That was a minor relief at least. “I can’t exactly lecture you on discretion,” Hunter pointed out wryly, all too aware that his and Shawn’s antics had been well known by the time Benoit and Guerrero jumped to WWF. And Christ only knew what Kevin and Scott had gotten up to in WCW. He blew out a huge breath. “You know I’m going to have to tell Stephanie, since she heads up SmackDown.” 

Benoit shrugged again, trying to act nonchalant. “You think she’ll have an issue with it?”

“I don’t know,” the bigger man admitted, unsure of _how_ exactly his wife would react. She knew about him and Shawn, jokingly calling it the worst kept secret in WWE history. She and Rebecca even repeatedly said they were more married to each other than to their respective wives. “She’s the one you’ll want on your side though; she’s got Vince wrapped around her finger to this day.” Exhaling heavily, he stood again. “Give me a few days to talk with her, and we’ll figure something out.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jerking awake at the sound of the hotel room door opening, Eddie graced his startled lover with a sleepy smile. “ _Hola, mi marido_ ,” he greeted around a yawn, sitting up and shaking his head briefly to clear it. “Thought I’d surprise you but guess I fell asleep.”

Surprise turning to delight, Chris actually grinned. “Hey, I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow,” he stated as he dropped his bag to one side before moving over to the bed as his husband sat up. Bending down, they met for a long, slow kiss. “I’ve missed you.”

Smiling as the kiss broke, he reached up and brushed gentle fingers over Chris’ face. “Couldn’t wait, I got here as soon as I could. Might’ve sweet talked the _mamacita_ behind the front desk into a spare key so I could surprise you,” Eddie admitted with a small laugh as his husband rolled his eyes fondly. “I’ve missed you too, _querido_. You have a good match?”

“Yeah, went fine. Talked to Hunter today about plans for SummerSlam.” Toeing off his shoes and socks, he moved to pull his shirt over his head. “You’d have laughed at him, I kept wishing I’d had a camera.”

Looking over his husband’s muscular frame as it was revealed to his appreciative gaze, the Latino made an inquiring noise. “Oh yeah?” he remarked casually, scratching at his stomach idly, smirking a little when Chris flushed and ducked his head as though they hadn’t been lovers for a decade by now and weren’t currently married.

“Told him I’d put Orton over with no issue as long as I could go back to SmackDown.” He shook his head in silent amusement as he slid out of his jeans before climbing into bed with the Latino. “When he asked why, I told him we’d gotten married and I wanted to be with my husband.”

Laughing in delight, Eddie could almost picture the poleaxed expression that had undoubtedly graced the face of Triple H. “ _Te amo mucho, querido,_ I really do,” he managed through his laughter as he leaned over and gave Chris a brief kiss. “He probably didn’t know what to say to that.”

Unable to stop smiling at his husband’s laughter, Chris snickered a little himself. “Especially when I called him and Michaels out on their lack of discretion. Along with Nash and Hall back in the day.”

Jaw dropping, the Latino stared at him. “You didn’t.” When Benoit just shrugged, Eddie couldn’t help but laugh even harder. “ _Mi amo_ , just when I think I can’t love you more, you go and do that and prove me wrong.”

“Guess all these years later you’re finally rubbing off on me,” Chris muttered with a laugh of his own, turning onto his side to look at his husband.

Still lightly chuckling, the Latino moved closer to him, sliding a hand over Chris’ thigh. “I can rub off on you some more.”

“Jesus, Eddie, that was terrible even for you,” Benoit replied with a groan, pulling his laughing husband over top him and into another kiss.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rubbing at Hunter’s temples, Shawn looked down at his oldest friend inquiringly. “You going to tell me what’s wrong with you tonight?” he drawled, raising an eyebrow when one hazel eye popped open and looked up at him balefully before closing again. “Something going on at home?”

Heaving a huge sigh, Hunter shook his head fractionally. “No, everything’s fine there,” he dismissed easily, waving one hand lazily as the Texan continued to rub at his temples. After a minute, he opened both eyes to look up at the dusky blue ones still looking down at him. “You ever think nothing can surprise you anymore and then something does, and you’re just like what the fuck do I do now?”

“Don’t cuss,” came the gentle admonishment. “Life’s that way sometimes. One door closes, another opens and all that. Why, what’s going on that has you so worked up tonight?”

Hunter was quiet for a moment before blurting out, “Benoit and Guerrero are _married_.”

“Not really sure why that’s surprising, Hunts. We’re married too, I mean, it’s kinda what people do.”

“As in, their married to each _other_ , Shawn.”

“You’re kidding.” The irritated look Shawn received made him blink a couple of times, ceasing the rubbing motions at Hunter’s temples. “You’re not kidding.”

“No, I’m not.”

A beat, then, “what the fuck, when the hell did that happen?!”

“Don’t cuss,” Hunter grumbled as he got up to go through his gear bag, getting a dark look from his lover which he shrugged off as he found the bottle of Percocet he kept in case of emergency. “I don’t know how long they’ve been together, but they got married just before Backlash this year when we were up in Canada. At least that’s what Benoit said.” Dry swallowing the pills, he moved back to the bed and lay once more with his head in Shawn’s lap and curling further into the small man’s body. “God, talk about an odd couple though. Who’d have thought?”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Shawn replied, brushing stray strands of hair from Hunter’s face tenderly. While he knew most people in his church might judge the two men for something they felt was an abomination, he couldn’t rightfully throw stones when he was committing both sodomy and adultery with the man laying here with him. After a minute he shrugged noncommittally. “You talk to Steph yet?”

“No. I need to because if anyone can help it’s her. God knows she’s run enough interference for us over the years.” A momentary silence fell between them. “I don’t think I’m going to be much fun tonight.”

Waving a dismissive hand, the Texan shrugged. “You can owe me one. Not the first time one of us hasn’t been up for a little fun. You want to go ahead and give her a call?” he asked, fumbling for Hunter’s phone where it sat on the bedside table. “Or I can talk to her if you want.”

“I’ll call her tomorrow. Right now, I just want this damn migraine to go away.”

Taking the hint, Shawn put the phone back. “Come on, sit up for a second,” he coaxed, getting a brief annoyed glare from the other man before he did as he was asked. Moving so he was laying down instead of sitting up with a relieved sigh as his back un-cramped, he beckoned Hunter back over. “C’mere.”

Laying with his head on Shawn’s chest, Hunter breathed a relieved sigh as the other man began rubbing at his shoulders and upper back soothingly. “Good thing Steph isn’t here, she saw us like this, she’d be taking pictures before we could blink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eddie was legitimately injured during his match with JBL at Judgement Day 2004. The blade cut open a vein and he felt the affects of the blood loss for two weeks afterwards.
> 
> Mon mari - my husband (French)
> 
> Mi marido - my husband (Spanish)


	25. Chapter 24

“You and Benoit really got married and didn’t invite me?”

Eddie stared across the desk at Stephanie McMahon, jaw working soundlessly for several seconds. “I’m sorry?” he offered with a shrug, not knowing what else to say. “Were we supposed to?”

Rolling her brown eyes, she huffed impatiently. “Well, it would’ve been nice to have at least known about it,” she grumbled, her neatly manicured nails tapping on the desk. “Dad’s agreed to let Chris come back to SmackDown.”

Heaving a huge sigh of relief, the Latino relaxed into the chair he’d been directed to upon entering her backstage office. “ _Gracias.”_

“Listen, I know you guys have kept this under wraps for this long, but you’ll need to be extra careful now,” Stephanie cautioned, lowering her voice a little even though the door was shut tight. “I didn’t tell dad the real reason, but you know how he is. Shawn and Hunter only get away with it because they’re big draws, and now that Hunter and I are married it takes even less suspicion off them. As good as you guys are in the ring and with the fans, you don’t have the protection they do.”

“A few people know we’re _amantes_ but outside of Chavo, and now you and Hunter – “

“Shawn knows too.” When he looked at her with surprise, she smiled slightly. “Of course he does. Are you kidding me? Sometimes I think he and Hunter should’ve gotten married. The two of them finish each other’s sentences for crying out loud. But he’s also not dumb enough to say anything, he knows what that kind of thing can do to people’s careers.”

_Oh, Chris is going to laugh at that one,_ Eddie thought to himself with a silent chuckle. “That’s good to know at least,” he mused aloud after a moment. “Angle doesn’t know we’re married but uh, he walked in on us after Survivor Series back in ’02.”

She stared at him silently for a minute before letting out a loud laugh, one hand covering her mouth. “Oh. My. God. Is that why he was so uncomfortable about working with you?” she asked, giggling harder when he looked completely unrepentant. “I’m going to be laughing about that for _days._ Serves him right though, getting all touchy with people.”

“When is Chris coming back to SmackDown?” Eddie questioned, steering the conversation back to his husband returning.

Still giggling with mirth, she looked at her calendar. “Well, he’s got the automatic rematch on Monday so… like two weeks? Gives us time to come up with a storyline to explain his jump back.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“You’re really not mad about it?” Randy questioned suddenly as he and Benoit finished the run through for their match.

Standing in the center of the ring in an empty arena, Chris turned to face him with a minor shrug. “That’s the way the business goes, kid. You know that.”

Randy didn’t know what he’d expected when it had come down that Benoit would be dropping his hard-won title to him, but it definitely wasn’t _this_. Whatever this was. The Canadian seemed abnormally calm, running through the match with a patience not even Ric or his dad could manage. “I do know that,” he agreed hastily, well aware that he’d be dropping the title within a month to Hunter. “I just figured you’d be more upset about it.”

“I’m heading back to SmackDown within two weeks after this,” Benoit replied, adjusting the title belt currently draped over his shoulder. “That’s all that matters to me.”

Blinking a little in surprise, Randy went to open his mouth to question why but before he could, the other man was ducking through the ropes. Taking it as his cue, he followed without thought, still completely baffled. “Why?” he finally blurted halfway up the ramp, stopping short when Chris turned and looked at him. “I mean, I know it’s none of my business – “

“You’re right, it’s not.”

The words felt almost like a slap to the face, delivered in the same no-nonsense tone that Benoit always spoke in. _Well, fuck you too,_ he thought, stung, but he couldn’t bring himself to be that mad about it. Chris was one of the best in the business and the fact that he was willing to treat this feud seriously was an honor he couldn’t ignore. “I’m sorry,” he muttered contritely, nearly running into the Canadian as they neared gorilla. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done and are doing for me with this storyline.”

Staring at Orton for a long minute, Chris held his hand out for the younger man to shake. “You’re going to be one of the best someday,” he admitted as Randy took his hand, half-smiling at the surprise that flashed in the young man’s eyes. “Don’t fuck it up.”

With that, Benoit dropped his hand and walked behind the curtain, leaving Randy standing shocked inside an empty arena. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“God but I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Chris mumbled in between heated kisses to his husband’s sweat slick skin. After months of barely being able to see one another, they were taking full advantage of being in the same city for the next couple of days. Secure in the knowledge that after he dropped the title tomorrow, they’d be together again full time within the next two weeks made everything else irrelevant.

Eddie gave a breathless laugh, arching under his husband’s touch. “ _Si,_ I know what you mean,” he agreed with a soft moan, shivering all over as the other man found a particularly sensitive spot. “Can’t wait to have you with me all the time again.”

Moving back up to loom over the Latino, Chris looked down at him with heated blue eyes. “I can’t wait either,” he agreed, looking down and raking his eyes over the expanse of tanned skin beneath him. It was true, and not just for the fact that their sex life would certainly benefit from being together again. He couldn’t wait for them to fall asleep together again, spend their precious little free time together and just be. “I’ve missed being with you.”

“I’ve missed you too, baby,” Eddie replied, lifting a hand to his husband’s face. Phone calls only did so much, the rare days off together only making the separation worse. “You’ve been doing okay?”

Nuzzling into his husband’s palm, he closed his eyes briefly and nodded. “I’ve been okay, just been missing you. How about you? You’ve been okay, no problems?”

“Not a one. Between my brother and my nephew keeping an eye on me, which is kind of annoying sometimes, I’ve been okay. Like you said, just been missing you.” Tugging Chris down into a kiss, he ran his hand over the close-cropped hair cut as they broke apart. “I still can’t believe you cut it this short. I miss your curls.”

“I know. Hell, you know I still miss you having the mullet sometimes,” Benoit admitted with a small laugh, watching the little lines around Eddie’s eyes crinkle in amusement. Sighing contently, he brushed another, lighter kiss over his husband’s mouth. “ _Je t’aime mari.”_

“ _Te queiro tambien, marido,”_ Eddie returned, looping his arms around his husband’s neck loosely and just basked in being with the man he loved for several minutes. “Think we should order room service?” 

“Yeah, we kind of worked up an appetite,” Chris agreed as their stomachs chose that moment to growl loudly in protest. The filthy grin the Latino shot him made him blush, but he didn’t look repentant in the slightest. Once Eddie had dropped his title, they were able to spend a little more time together, but the conflicting schedules didn’t always make it easy. “You know, I think that shower might be big enough for both of us.”

“ _Si,_ I think so too,,” the Latino agreed, following his husband’s lead off the bed and towards the in-suite bathroom. “And seems a shame to not conserve water.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Dave paused in his ministrations, looking down at his Evolution stablemate curiously. “You and that title belt want the night alone or something?” he drawled, following Randy’s gaze to where the belt gleamed dimly on the corner chair of their hotel room.

Randy snapped his attention back to his lover, wide-eyed with guilt and arousal. “I’m sorry. It just.. doesn’t feel real, you know?” Cringing instantly, he shook his head on the pillow. “Bad choice of words. Sorry.”

With an irritated growl, Batista sat up and glared at the other man. “Stop fucking apologizing or I’m going to kick you off and out of bed.” At the mildly offended look Randy gave him, he rolled his eyes. “Come on, man, somethings obviously bothering you and it’s not just because you’re feeling guilty for getting pushed first.”

“Just something Benoit said to me the other night when we ran through the match has been bothering me. He said it didn’t matter, him dropping the title because he was going back to SmackDown.”

Confused, Dave stared at him. “So fucking what? Let him do what he wants. Less competition.”

“You don’t think that’s weird though?” Randy questioned a little desperately, propping himself on his elbows. “He doesn’t even care he’s losing his rematch!”

“And?”

Flopping back down on the bed, Orton huffed. “Never mind, I don’t know. Just seems odd that he’d willingly go back to SmackDown. He told me I’d be one of the best and not to fuck it up and then just walked away.”

“It’s not bad advice,” Batista pointed out, shrugging when the other man leveled a glare at him. “And you know as well as I do, you already are one of the best. That’s why Hunter chose us to be in Evolution.”

Dave was right, of course, but still. “You think I should talk to him tomorrow? Or maybe Hunter?”

_Oh, for fuck’s sake._ “I think that you need to worry about the fact that I’m this close to making you sleep on the floor with that damn belt. Now shut the hell up, stop worrying about damn Benoit and let’s fuck already.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Standing in gorilla, awaiting their respective cues, Randy fidgeted nervously while Benoit might as well have been carved of ice. “You’re really going back to SmackDown?”

“Why are you so worried about what I’m doing?” Chris replied with an annoyed sounding sigh, rolling his shoulders back. “You’re the champ now, enjoy it.”

Shrugging helplessly, Randy adjusted the belt around his waist nervously. “I don’t know, it just seems weird how calm you are about all this.”

“There’s someone on SmackDown I want to be with, alright? I’m going back to be with them.”

Oh. Well, he could understand that. “I thought you were married though.”

“I am.”

“I didn’t think Woman was even in the business anymore.”

“She isn’t. And her and I aren’t married.”

“Oh.” As Jericho moved past them, followed shortly after by Batista and Flair, Randy grew quiet. “I thought they didn’t split spouses up.”

Another annoyed sounding sigh escaped Chris, drowned out by the ring announcer beginning to announce their match. “Not too many people know we’re married. Most people, and especially Vince, wouldn’t be too accepting of it.” Off the younger man’s curious look, he rolled his eyes as the hard rock strains of his entrance music started. “I’m going back to be with my husband, alright?”

Stunned, Orton felt his jaw drop just as Chris stepped out to the loud cheer of the crowd. “Husband?” he mumbled weakly at the black curtain in front of him.


	26. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last and final time jump to November 2005.

Packing their gear bags somewhat reluctantly, Chris fought to keep his hands from shaking. The memory of the last time he’d packed to go to Minneapolis waged war with the present, but things were very obviously different this time. The white gold band on his hand wasn’t a symbol of his marriage to Nancy, the bible on the bed side table wasn’t hers. Little details here and there indicated just how much they’d changed things all over the room. _It’ll be fine,_ he tried to assure himself over and over. _Eddie’s fine, he’s healthy, doctor said he was fine. Stop panicking._

“Chris. Chris, baby, look at me.”

Startled, he turned to face Eddie who was watching him closely. When had he came in? he wondered briefly, about to open his mouth to ask but nothing came out. The very next thing he became aware of was his husband’s arms around him, the softly accented voice whispering soothing things in his ear in a combination of English and Spanish. After several long minutes like that, Chris finally calmed enough to speak. “Sorry I don’t mean to be such a mess.”

“No sorry, _querido_ , I know you’ve been dreading this trip for the last year at least,” Eddie replied softly, one hand running up and down Chris’ back and the other brushing through the short hair at the nape of his husband’s neck. “We’ve done all we can, baby, we just have to trust it’ll be enough.”

Would it be enough though? Chris wondered, unable to give voice to his biggest fear. They’d changed so much, but had they changed enough? Eddie was well and truly sober, had been for almost a decade this time, their doctor had told them that he was completely healthy with no signs of any kind of health problems. Having this time with him, actually marrying him even, it would never be enough. He wanted a lifetime, not just eleven years. “Easier said than done,” he finally mumbled as he lifted his head reluctantly.

Cupping Chris’ face in his hands, Eddie met wet blue eyes with his own. “It’ll be enough, _mi querido_ , you just have to keep telling yourself that.” Drawing him into a kiss, he poured all the love and affection he could into it. Their actions had changed so many things for the better, and not just for them. Owen Hart was alive and well, having retired from wrestling shortly after the incident that had nearly cost him his life. Eddie himself was sober, married to the man he loved, who’d worked so hard to keep him alive and well. Breaking the kiss after a moment, he held his husband’s gaze pointedly. “It’ll be enough, okay?”

Chris nodded reluctantly, bringing his own hands up to encircle Eddie’s wrists gently. He could feel the warmed metal of his husband’s wedding ring pressing against his cheek and the tangible evidence of their marriage was enough to help him begin to calm down. “ _Quoi qu’il arrive, t’épouser était la meilleure chose que j’ai jamais faite_.”

“ _Sólo recuerda, te amo con todo mi corazón y si sucede lo peor, esperaré el tiempo que sea necesario_ ,” Eddie returned, pulling Chris’ head down to place a small kiss on his forehead, between the blue eyes he always found himself lost in. Pulling back enough to meet those same eyes again, he smiled softly at the other man, getting a small one in return. “You want some help with packing?”

Benoit was quiet for a second, considering. “Our flight isn’t until tomorrow morning, right?” At the Latino’s nod, he glanced pointedly at their bed before turning back to Eddie. “I think packing can wait, don’t you?”

Smile widening into a grin, Eddie brought him in for another quick kiss. “You know what? It definitely can,” he agreed, following his husband’s lead, and shoving their bags off the bed as they climbed in. Hopefully this would assure Chris that everything was fine, that he’d be fine. He wasn’t going to complain either way, but it was an easy and tangible way to reassure the both of them at the same time.

Even as they stripped to their skin and he ran his hands reverently over his husband’s body, Chris couldn’t help but worry. The scattered scars he could remember decorating Eddie’s body weren’t there this time, but he could easily recall where they’d been. The one across his abdomen, another on his hip, still more on his right leg and dotting across his broad back. _Don’t leave me again,_ he begged mentally as he set out to drive the Latino out of his mind with pleasure in an effort to distract himself. _I’m not strong enough to go on without you. Not now, not ever._

_Please, God, if you’re listening, don’t take him from me again._

Arriving in Minneapolis the next evening, Chris had to fight the memories of the first time he’d been here. They were at the same hotel, though the room number was at least different and he, Eddie and Chavo were all riding together. As they pulled up to the hotel, with Eddie and Chavo conversing back in forth in Spanish, Chris kept telling himself this time was different. Everything was different. Eddie was here, he was a hundred percent healthy, and nothing would go wrong tonight.

It was only the sound of the car door slamming that broke him out of his thoughts as Chavo exited the backseat. Meeting the concerned brown eyes of his husband, he tried and failed to force a smile for the Latino. “Sorry.”

“No need for sorry, baby,” Eddie replied softly, squeezing the hand that had been in his keeping since they’d gotten in the car earlier. “Everything will be okay, you’ll see.”

Chris couldn’t tell if Eddie was trying to reassure himself, or both of them, but he nodded automatically anyway. “I love you,” he managed at last, tamping down the rising panic that even being near this hotel again was causing him.

Lifting his free hand to Chris’ face, he brushed a stray tear away without commenting on its presence. “I love you too, my Chris,” the Latino told him before leaning in and brushing their lips together in a soft kiss. “ _Con todo mi corazón, siempre_.”

Recognizing part of their wedding vows made Benoit a little less uneasy, a small smile rising up unbidden. “ _Et avec tous les miens, toujours_ ,” he returned quietly before taking a deep breath. “Alright, I’m okay now.”

“You sure?”

Trust Eddie to see right through him. “No, not really,” Chris admitted with a soft sigh, “but we can’t exactly sleep in the car.”

Laughing, Eddie nodded, releasing the hand in his keeping a little reluctantly. “I don’t know about you _querido_ , but I have some plans that can’t be done in a car anyways,” he teased as he opened the car door, trying to lighten the mood.

Feeling his cheeks heat up, Chris shook his head in amusement, opening his own door and getting out. “You’re incorrigible and I love you,” he muttered as he met his husband by the front bumper before they headed inside together to face whatever might happen.

**November 13, 2005 – Marriot Hotel - City Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota**

Chris awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. With an annoyed grunt, he reached over and picked it up off the receiver. “’lo?”

“Good morning! This is the wake-up call you requested!” The far too chipper voice of the hotel receptionist replied sunnily.

“Alright, thanks,” he mumbled, replacing the receiver after a couple attempts while yawning hugely, and reaching behind him to wake Eddie. When his hand hit open air, his eyes popped all the way open and he sat up in surprise. The light from the bathroom was a bit of a relief but not much and he could feel his heart begin pounding in his chest in fear. _No, no, no…_ “Eddie?”

It was only as the Latino opened the door and walked out, fresh from the shower, that Chris was able to begin calming down. “ _Lo siento, querido,_ I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep,” he apologized, toweling his hair dry with one hand. “Didn’t want to wake you up before I had to.”

Relief flooded his system in such a rush, he fell back onto the bed with a ‘whoosh’ of breath. “You don’t know how badly you scared me just now,” he mumbled, feeling the bed dip beside him as his husband climbed in with him. Gentle fingers on his face made him meet those beloved brown eyes, and he couldn’t help but return the small smile aimed at him.

“Hey, hey, I’m here and I’m okay,” Eddie assured, leaning down, and giving him a slow kiss, their mouths moving together effortlessly. “Besides, I don’t know why you were so worried, the doctor said I was completely healthy, remember?”

“Yeah, I know,” Chris agreed by way of apology, reaching up and running a finger along the edge of Eddie’s goatee. They’d done it, somehow, someway, they’d stopped the Latino from dying (again). The left-over adrenaline from his brief scare had left him shaky, his fingers trembling slightly as they touched the other man’s damp skin. “ _Je t’aime, mon mari_.”

“ _Yo también te quiero, mi marido_ ,” the Latino returned, turning his head to kiss the pads of Chris’ fingertips. “You going to get dressed there, _mi amo_? Much as I’m enjoying the sight, I don’t think we want to mentally scar Chavo again.”

Before Chris could respond, his cell phone began ringing insistently, nearly vibrating off the side table. Grabbing it before it could do just that, he flipped it open without looking the caller id. “Hello?”

_“Is he alive? Did you stop it?”_ Shaul’s voice surprised him so much he sat up abruptly, nearly knocking into his husband. “ _Well_? _Did you?!”_

Without a word, Chris handed the phone off to Eddie, who was watching him curiously. “It’s for you.”

Taking it with a shrug, the Latino put it up to his ear absently. _“¡Hola! ¿Quién es?”_ A second later, Chris watched his husband tear up, as Shaul could be heard bursting into tears and apologizing over and over for her behavior the past few years. “Shauly, baby girl, I’m fine.” A brief pause as Shaul continued crying and apologizing over and over. “It’s okay, baby, I promise. Calm down, _mi princesa_ , it’s okay.”

Smiling a little, Chris slid out of bed, moving around it, and pressing a kiss into Eddie’s still damp hair before moving into the bathroom to give his husband the privacy this phone call deserved. A huge weight he didn’t realize he’d been carrying lifted off his shoulders as he started the shower, leaning against the wall as he continued to calm down. The Latino’s voice could be heard through the cracked door, repeatedly assuring Shaul that he was fine, he was alive, perfectly healthy, and likely to live to be one hundred.

It was only as he stepped under the hot spray that he realized he was crying. Taking a deep shuddering breath, he lifted his face into the water, allowing it wash away the tears that kept coming. Eddie was alive, he was healthy, they were here together, and everything was going to be alright. He wouldn’t have to go on RAW tonight wearing one of Eddie’s shirts and breakdown crying as he memorialized the man he loved. Chavo wouldn’t have the haunted, broken look in his eyes over the next few days and weeks. Vickie wouldn’t be alone in Phoenix, receiving the call from Vince that her husband was dead. Everything was right in the world.

So why was he sobbing like a baby in the shower?

“Hey, _querido_ , Chavo just texted wondering – you ok?” Eddie’s voice broke into his thoughts, the shower curtain being pushed aside as he looked at Chris with a worried expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he choked out, half laughing, half sobbing as he looked at his semi-dressed husband. “Everything’s right and I’m sitting here crying and I don’t know why.”

Expression softening, Eddie moved to turn the spray off, beckoning Chris out of the shower and into his arms. “It’s ok,” he assured softly, as his normally stoic husband broke down even more, burying his face in the juncture of Eddie’s neck and shoulder. Tightening his hold around the other man, he ran one hand up and down the slick skin of Chris’ back. “It’s ok, baby, everything’s okay now. Go ahead, let it out.”

Finally, after what felt like hours, Chris lifted his head and met Eddie’s eyes with a small, half smile. “I still don’t know where that all came from,” he admitted with a watery chuckle, clearing his throat with a small cough. “Sorry.”

“No sorry, _mi amo_. I know what it was,” the Latino told him, brushing the back of his knuckles over Chris’ cheek softly. “All that stress and worry from the past eleven years, it just caught up to you is all. It’s understandable. I sort of figured something like this might happen.”

“You’re probably right,” Chris agreed after a minutes thought, laughing lightly at the expression on the other man’s face. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll admit it this time. You’re right.”

It was on the tip of Eddie’s tongue to come back with a smart remark but instead he just pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. “You did it, you saved me,” he mumbled against Chris’ lips, smiling widely when Benoit blushed pink. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” A soft sigh escaped as the stress of the past eleven years melted away and he pulled his husband in for another kiss as adrenaline began turning towards arousal. “Think Chavo will mind if we’re late?” he questioned, moving his hands to the waistband of Eddie’s workout sweats.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Eddie retorted with a huge grin, pulling the Canadian with him back towards the bed. “Hell, he probably won’t even be surprised.”

**The End**

**Stay tuned for the Epilogue** **😉**


	27. Epilogue pt 1

**January 2014**

“Hunter called earlier; they want to put you in the hall of fame with me inducting you.”

Eddie didn’t look up at his husband’s voice, choosing instead to picture the tomato he was dicing as Vince McMahon’s face. “Oh, so they’ll put us in the hall of fame, but _Dios_ forbid we still wrestle,” he muttered darkly, sliding the diced tomato into a bowl already filled with diced onions and peppers, and stirring it in. “You tell him to go fuck himself?”

“Maybe not in those _exact_ words,” Chris replied as he moved into the kitchen, taking care to stay out of the Latino’s way as he cooked dinner. Long experience had taught him the best thing to do was keep out of the way or he’d be dealing with Latino Heat making an appearance. “But he knows we’re not thrilled with his father-in-law.”

Not thrilled was a massive understatement in Eddie’s opinion. When it had gotten out they’d married prior to the 2004 Backlash pay-per-view in Edmonton, Vince had nearly had a coronary. Even though they were far more discreet than say, Shawn and Hunter, it hadn’t mattered. Fuck buddies was one thing, but to have actually married one another was apparently just too much for McMahon. He’d released them from their contracts with the bare minimum courtesy, complaining the whole time that they’d screwed up all his plans for the two of them.

Nancy and Vickie had been surprisingly just as upset on their behalf, with the former willing to go slap the living daylights out of Vince. She’d shown up on their doorstep with her little girl in tow and ready to fight, within minutes. Eddie would later tell Chris he kind of loved her in that moment. Instead, when they’d shared the idea of starting a school, she’d offered to help them get it up and off the ground, having everything mapped out within days. Now, going on nine years later, they had a pretty successful thing going, with Chris’ son David coming down to train with them.

Joanie, having called Eddie one night after hitting rock bottom, was now a hundred percent clean and they’d hired her on to help train people as well. He still jokingly called her his _mamacita_ every now and again, just to watch her roll her eyes and try to hide her smile. Chris had taken to calling them the new three _amigos,_ which he’d approved of whole heartedly. They were three people who’d been screwed by WWE and were taking their lives back with both hands grasping.

He hadn’t realized Chris had spoken to him until he heard his name and he shook his head briefly to clear it. “ _Lo siento, querido_ , what?”

“I told him I’d only do it if I could refer to you as my husband.”

Eddie gaped at him like a fish, the knife in his hand falling to the counter with a clatter. “You didn’t.” When Chris just looked back at him evenly, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his chin in that classic ‘I’m ready to fight’ pose, he barked out a laugh. “Oh, I can only imagine how well _that_ went over.”

Chris huffed, his irritation with the whole situation obvious. “He was okay with it, though Joanie thinks it’s because they want to be seen as ‘progressive.’ Like they didn’t force us out once it became known we were not only together, but actually married.” Moving to the cupboard to grab plates, he shook his head in disgust as he laid them out on the island. “I told him I wasn’t answering for you, so we’d let him know.”

The Latino was quiet for a minute as he made their plates, grabbing silverware as Chris took the now full plates to their dining room table. “I don’t know, Chris,” he admitted with a sigh, laying the cutlery down before sitting as his husband set the food down. He knew their respective children all wanted them to have their place in it, but he also didn’t want this to be a PR stunt on behalf of the company.

“Nancy thinks we should accept and kiss in front of everyone,” Benoit muttered as he grabbed a pitcher of water from the fridge and two cups. His husband’s amused snicker made him smile a little, even as his cheeks warmed at the thought. “But she knows as well as I do they’d probably pan the cameras away or cut to commercial, something.”

“Probably,” Eddie agreed, taking Chris’ hand in his and bowing his head to say grace. Making the sign of the cross a moment later, they released one another so they could eat. They were quiet for a while before he spoke again. “What do you think we should do?”

Chewing and swallowing, Benoit thought for a moment. “I leave that up to you, I’ll follow your lead on this one.” Off Eddie’s look, he shrugged, pushing his fork through the remaining food on his plate. “It’s not an actual hall of fame anyway, you and I both know that. It’s just something they put on every year like it’s a big deal.”

Biting the inside of his lip, the Latino looked at him for a long moment. “No word on if they’ll induct you too?”

His husband shrugged. “Probably waiting to see how yours goes over and then they’ll see about me. Not that it matters, like I said, it’s all just a show for the company.” He took another bite, considering his words as he chewed. “So, like I said, if you want it, we’ll do it.”

**April 5, 2014 – WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony**

Stepping up to the podium, Chris took a deep breath as he considered what to say. Nancy had offered to write a speech for him, but he’d declined, saying Eddie deserved once again to hear his words, not hers. “When Eddie and I first met, we legitimately hated one another. Might have been because I kicked him unconscious by accident, but I’m not sure.” The crowd laughed, and he could see Vickie, Shaul and Sherilyn in attendance, sitting beside his son, David. “Over time, we became best friends, and that friendship saw us through a lot of ups and downs in life. In the beginning, I never once thought we would be where we are now and yet, here we are.”

“When I broke my neck in 2001, he was right there with me every step of my recovery. There were days where the pain was so bad, I didn’t think I’d ever get back in the ring. He was the one who talked me through it, helped with my physical therapy, pushed me when I needed it and when I just needed him to be there, that’s right where he was.” Polite applause as he paused and took a drink. “The thing with Eddie is that he’s one of those people who if he cares about you, he does it with his whole being, heart and soul. I’m so very blessed to not only have him as my best friend but also as my husband. With that said, it’s my absolute privilege to be here tonight, and to induct him into the Hall of Fame.” Loud applause as Eddie’s music hit, and Chris stepped aside to watch him strut across the stage, in full on Latino Heat mode. They embraced, and he swore he could hear Shaul and Sherilyn shrieking excitedly over the noise of the crowd. “ _Je t’aime,_ my Eddie, _”_ he whispered into Eddie’s ear, feeling the small shiver that wracked the Latino’s frame.

“ _Te amo,_ my Chris,” Eddie whispered back, before they broke apart, with him heading backstage and Eddie going up to the podium. Smiling widely out at the crowd as they sat back down, he chuckled lightly into the microphone. “Hey, who remembers when they called him Mr. Roboto, huh?” He sensed more than saw the evil eye he was likely getting, which made him laugh along with the crowd.

**December 2014**

Eddie glared out the window as Shaul and her boyfriend pulled into the driveway. “I’m not going to like him,” he muttered stubbornly, drawing a laugh from his husband. Turning, he directed his glare at Chris, who just looked back at him in amusement.

“You promised Shaul you’d give him a fair chance,” Chris reminded as he pulled the Latino in his arms for a slow kiss. Resting their foreheads together when the kiss broke, he met the dark eyes of his husband. “Remember?”

Grumbling to himself as the doorbell rang and set the dogs off, he nodded reluctantly, stealing another small kiss before letting Chris move away to answer the door. Corralling the dogs as he listened to Benoit greet his daughter, he shooed the two German shepherds into the garage and closed the door just as Shaul came into view. “Hey, baby girl,” he greeted with a smile, pulling her into an embrace and only refrained from glaring at her boyfriend thanks to his husband standing off to one side giving him the rabid wolverine stare he was infamous for.

“Hey dad,” Shaul returned the greeting, hugging him tightly in return before murmuring, “be nice!” in his ear as she let him go, turning to Matthew with a smile. “Dad, Chris, this is my boyfriend, Matthew Rehwoldt. Matt, this is my dad, Eddie and his husband, Chris.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Deciding that maybe Chris was going to be the way to get Eddie’s approval, Matthew waited until Eddie and Shaul were cooking dinner to approach the stoic Canadian. Finding the man in question down in the basement gym, he cleared his throat as he approached, making Benoit stop hitting the heavy bag and look at him. “Could I ask your opinion on something?” he asked, getting a small nod and an expectant look. _God, Shaul wasn’t kidding when she said he didn’t speak a lot._ “I want to ask Eddie’s permission to marry Shaul.”

Staring at him silently, Chris kept his best poker face on. He had to admit, the kid had some balls, especially since he was willing to ask Eddie for his daughter’s hand in marriage. “Does Shaul know?”

“I don’t think so?” Matthew said after a minute, racking his brain. “I mean, I already asked her mom, but it’s important to have his as well.”

Going quiet as he considered it, Chris finally nodded once. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Really?! I mean, thank you, it really – “

“I said I’d talk to him; I didn’t say I’d ask him for you.” Turning back to finish his workout, he stopped for a second before looking back at him. “You’re welcome to join me,” he muttered, gesturing to the various workout equipment and getting a startled look before the other man accepted with a grateful nod.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rubbing at a sore shoulder, Chris stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom he and Eddie shared. “Don’t ever doubt how much I love you,” he muttered, rolling his neck to try and ease some of the stiffness out.

Looking up from his perusal of late-night television, Eddie smiled at his husband as the other man approached, tilting his head up for a kiss as Chris climbed into bed beside him. “You know I don’t, _querido_ , but what makes you say that?”

“I… might’ve tortured Shaul’s boyfriend a little,” he admitted sheepishly. “He tried keeping up with me during a workout, I ended up overdoing it a bit just to mess with him.”

Staring at him, Eddie began laughing in delight as he climbed over his husband’s lap and bent down to kiss him. “I was wondering why he looked uncomfortably stiff at dinner,” he mused, getting a crooked grin. “I’ll admit though, I don’t _entirely_ hate him.”

Bringing him back down for another kiss, Chris made it obvious without words what he wanted. “That’s good,” he managed as his husband began kissing and nibbling down his neck. “Because he wants to ask your permission to marry Shaul.”

Distracted with his husband, he almost missed that last sentence and when it registered in his brain, he slowly lifted his head. The breathy disappointed moan from Chris was _almost_ enough to make him continue but… “He wants to _what?”_ Eddie asked, his tone going dangerously low.

Opening his eyes, Chris looked at him with pupils dilated in arousal. “What? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? _What’s wrong?!”_ Sitting up, he glared down at his husband in irritation, resisting the urge to go beat the daylights out of his daughter’s boyfriend. “If that boy thinks I’m okay with him marrying my baby girl, he’s got another thing coming.”

Sighing as his chances of having sex began to diminish, Chris propped himself on his elbows and looked patiently at the Latino. “ _Mon mari,_ he loves her, anyone with eyes can see it,” he pointed out, getting a dark look from Eddie. “The fact that he approached _me_ about it says a lot already. Vickie already gave him her blessing, but he wanted to ask yours as well. Said it was important to him to have it.”

Eddie huffed, reluctantly allowing his resolve to crumble. “She’s my baby, Chris,” he sniffed, tears stinging his eyes even as he blinked hard to keep them at bay. “No one’s ever going to be good enough for her.”

“I know.” Chris’ voice was soft. “And you better believe, if he ever hurts her, I’ll go full wolverine on his ass and help you get rid of the body.” That got a reluctant laugh out of his husband, making him smile. “Now, you think we can finish what you started?”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Matthew froze in mid-workout as Eddie entered the basement gym alone, dark eyes stormy as they locked on him. Swallowing awkwardly, he slowly allowed the weight machine to come to a rest, releasing the bar. The Latino stared at him with his arms crossed over his chest for several long moments before he spoke. “You love my daughter?

“Very much, sir.” Something flashed in Eddie’s eyes and he fervently prayed it as approval.

“I don’t need to ask if she loves you, she wouldn’t have brought you here if she didn’t.” Uncrossing his arms, he approached the other man, Eddie pointed at him. “You ever, **EVER _,_** hurt her and there isn’t a force in this life or the next that will stop me kicking your ass, _comprende?”_

“I understand, and I swear, I’ll do everything I can to make her happy and never hurt her,” he agreed, holding his hands up in surrender. “I know it would mean a lot to the both of us if we could have your blessing.”

Eddie was quiet for several moments, his eyes roaming over Matthew’s face in an effort to see if perhaps the other man was lying to him. Finally, grudgingly, he nodded. “I’m not doing this for you, you understand,” he muttered, dropping his finger. “She’s my baby girl and I’d do anything for her.” Heaving a huge sigh, he held out his hand for his future son-in-law to shake. “You have my blessing.”

Shocked, Matthew shook his hand gratefully. “Thank you, you don’t know what it means- “

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie grumbled without heat, releasing the other man’s hand. “Just remember, it won’t just be me out for blood if you hurt her. I may hesitate because of my love for Shaul but know that Chris isn’t going to. No matter if she acknowledges him as her stepfather or not, that’s his daughter too and if you think I’m scary, you haven’t seen anything close to how he can be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eddie was inducted posthumously into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Chris and Chavo. For obvious reasons, Chris has not and likely won't be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. David Benoit has gone on record stating he'd like to see it happen but I don't think it will. Thus, I chose not to make it happen this time around either.


	28. Epilogue pt 2

**November 2015**

Shaul hesitated briefly before knocking softly on the door jamb to get Chris’ attention. The Canadian looked over at her curiously, jerking his head to indicate she should come further into the room. “Can I talk to you?”

Chris huffed a little in surprise. “Should I be worried? Because the last time you asked me that you told me you sent us back to ’96 to save your dad,” he remarked, peeling the support tape from his wrists slowly.

Laughing, she shook her head ruefully. “Yeah, no, this is nothing like that.” She paused momentarily, watching him as he balled the tape up and threw it away. “I… owe you a pretty big apology.”

Tilting his head in confusion, Benoit blinked at her in surprise. “An apology?” he repeated, watching her nod before shaking his head. “You don’t owe me anything, Shaul.”

“Yeah, Chris, I do.” Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she blew out a breath as she considered her words. “I didn’t really get it, you and dad. I knew you were friends, brothers even. Sherilyn and I grew up calling you uncle, for crying out loud. So, you have to understand, it was completely out of left field when mom and dad divorced, and I found out you two were together. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m so, so incredibly grateful for everything you did to ensure dad stayed alive and got clean long before he did the first time. You can’t imagine what it means to me to know that in less than two months, he’ll be here to walk me down the aisle and give me away.”

“Shaul…”

“I’m okay, I am. It’s just hard, you know, it’s like I keep waiting to wake up and find it’s all a dream. I feel like I could wake up tomorrow and he won’t be here.” Shaul sniffed, swiping at her watery eyes. “But it’s real, and it’s all because of you. Yeah, I might’ve been the one who found the book, did the thing, and sent us back, but _you_ are the one who helped him get clean, stay clean, and kept him alive. I never would’ve been able to do that by myself.”

Benoit was silent for a minute before speaking. “I still have the nightmares sometimes,” he admitted softly, ducking his head to avoid looking at her. “They never fail to scare the hell out of me.”

“They can be pretty rough,” she stated by way of agreement, taking a deep breath. “I wanted to hate you when mom and dad split. I was just so angry, thinking that on one hand you’d agreed to help save him but then, you were also the reason he and mom got divorced. It wasn’t like last time where he was in a bad place. I talked to mom a few months ago finally and she admitted that it was her that made him choose.”

“It was. As much as I love your dad, as much as he and I love each other, the love he has for you and your sister outweighs everything else in this world.” Chris rubbed his neck as he thought of how to put it. “You remember, when he died, I wasn’t with him. You even told him that once.” Off her slow nod, he continued. “The reason for that is because Nancy and I were in a bad place personally. I called him to ask for advice, like I always did, and I guess he misunderstood what I was saying. He thought I was asking him to leave Vickie for me. Which wasn’t the case, I’d have never asked that of him.”

Hugging herself, she swallowed hard before stating softly, “He tried calling mom that night, you know.”

He met Shaul’s eyes in shock. “What?”

“M-mom couldn’t answer the phone, I don’t remember why. I always wondered, why not call you? Chavo? Someone who was _there._ ” Shaul coughed a little to clear her throat. “I’m sorry I blamed you for everything.”

“I blamed myself for not being there. Still do sometimes, especially when the nightmares hit.” Looking uncomfortable, it was his turn to clear his throat, his gaze leaving hers to look anywhere but at her. “I thought about walking away a few times, you know. You can’t imagine what it was like for me to see how hurt he was when you wouldn’t talk to him all that time. He had Sherilyn, sure, and that helped a bit but god, Shaul, it was killing him to not see you.”

Sniffling, she nodded, looking down at the floor. “I was so hurt, Chris, and I took it out on him and you by extension when I shouldn’t have.”

“I get it, I do, but you really have no idea what it was like for me to watch him _not_ see or talk to you. Every time he’d try to call or go see you, he’d pray that you would at least be willing to listen to him. He didn’t get sober for me, he did it for you girls. He wanted to be here for the two of you. He wanted to see you two graduate high school and college, get married, have kids of your own. There were days, especially around the holidays or your birthday, when he would breakdown crying because you wouldn’t speak to him.” He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his short hair as saw the tears running down her face at that before continuing.

“I’ll forgive you, because I know you were a child who’d lived through her father dying and then when you had him back, things changed and not in the ways you were expecting. I’ll forgive you because Eddie will want me to, and I swore to myself when he and I decided we had a real chance together, I would do anything I could to make him happy. The fact that you two have repaired your bond means more to him, and I, than you know. And Shaul?”

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." When she looked at him in surprise, wiping the tears from her face, Chris shrugged. "You gave him back to me too, you know."

"I gave you back to each other," she corrected, choking up as she threw her arms around him in a huge hug, laughing through her remaining tears as he tensed briefly before hugging her back a little awkwardly. "I think we can just call it even at this point." 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Climbing into bed with Eddie later that night, Chris moved in close to his husband, sighing as his husband lifted an arm for him to cuddle. “Shaul and I talked today,” he said quietly, closing his eyes briefly at the gentle thud of the Latino’s heart beneath his ear.

“Oh yeah?” Eddie remarked, trying to sound casual as he muted the TV, thumb rubbing along Chris’ shoulder slowly. “What about?”

“She wanted to apologize to me for everything,” he admitted with another soft sigh, looping an arm over his husband’s stomach lightly, the light from the bedside lamp making the wedding band on his finger gleam faintly. “We both got some things off our chest that we wanted to say to one another.”

Humming absently in agreement, the Latino tightened his arm around his husband’s shoulders briefly. “Everything okay with you two now?”

“We will be, I think,” Benoit agreed, tilting his head up to meet the warm brown eyes looking down at him fondly. “She’s really looking forward to you walking her down the aisle in January, you know.”

Eddie made a face at that, still not thrilled she was marrying a wrestler. The fact that he couldn’t hate the guy made it worse, Matthew having managed to earn his respect. “He’s never going to be good enough for her,” he muttered darkly, getting a small laugh from Chris. “You know she told me I had no room to talk since I married a wrestler too?”

“She’s not wrong.”

“Really, _querido_? Whose side are you on here?” The Latino grumbled, softening a little when his husband rose up and kissed him, bringing a hand to his face, and brushing his thumb over his goatee.

Chris shook his head fondly. “I’m always on your side, in everything,” he replied softly as he leaned in and brushed another kiss over Eddie’s mouth. “ _Je t’aime, mon mari_.”

“ _Te queiro tambien, mi marido_.” A beat. “Even if you are taking Shaul’s side this time.”

Climbing over his husband, Benoit shook his head in exasperation at him. “I’m not taking sides,” he muttered as he reached over to shut the light off before tugging the remote out of Eddie’s slackened grip. “Now come here, _mon amour_.”

**January 3, 2016**

****

“I still don’t like that I like him.”

Chris shook his head, reaching over and taking Eddie’s hand in his as they drove together to the wedding venue. “You don’t like the fact that he’s a wrestler,” he corrected, getting a side-eyed glare from his husband.

“Told both of them not to marry one, and here Shaul is doing the exact opposite,” the Latino muttered petulantly, staring out the passenger window with an annoyed huff.

“Calm down, Eddie, he’s a decent guy, you said it yourself,” Chris told him, tightening his grip when his husband would have pulled away in irritation.

They fell into silence as the Canadian found a parking space and pulled in, putting the car in park. “You sure I can’t convince you to go all wolverine on him and scare him off?” Eddie asked hopefully, getting a patient eyeroll and a headshake in response. “Damn. Worth a try.”

Exiting the car a moment later, Chris stopped by the trunk and looked at him seriously. “You wouldn’t want me to do that to Shaul anyway,” he pointed out, knowing that for all the Latino’s grumbling it was the truth. Eddie’s eyes flashed to him for a second, a glimmer of sadness replacing the earlier irritation. “I know how hard this is for you, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Probably better than we did at her age.”

God, if _that_ wasn’t true. “She’s my baby girl and she’s getting married,” Eddie mumbled, looking down and toeing absently at the pavement beneath his feet. “I’ll probably be even worse when Sherilyn gets married.”

“I’m fully expecting it. Christ, you think I’m not going to be the same when Megan gets married? Or hell, even when Danielle gets married, and she’s not even related to us in any way.”

Glaring playfully at his husband, the Latino pushed at him gently in annoyance, only to laugh when Chris simply pulled him in for a quick kiss. “Alright, enough of that, let’s go before I make us late.” Snickering at the pink raising in Benoit’s cheeks, he shook his head fondly. _Still too easy._

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“ _Dios_ , look at you.”

Shaul turned around at the sound of her father’s voice, blinking back happy tears as he approached her. He took her outstretched hands in his, looking her over in her wedding dress. “I’m so happy you’re here, dad,” she told him, sniffing as she tried not to cry. When he’d originally passed in 2005, she’d hated the idea that one day she’d get married without him. But thanks to a random book in a Phoenix library and one of the men she now called her stepfather, he was here with her.

“Hey, _no llores_ , your _madre_ will kill me and I’m pretty sure that’s bad luck,” he told her with a grin as she gave a watery laugh.

“You’re right, she would,” she agreed, allowing him to draw her into a hug. “Is Chris here too?”

Eddie nodded at the mention of his husband, pretending to look thoughtful. “Of course, Shauly _,_ think he’s busy giving the wolverine glare to Matthew _._ ”

“Oh, God, dad, tell me you didn’t sic him on my fiancé,” Shaul replied, laughing at the thought of her poor fiancé dealing with the man once called the rabid wolverine. “He’s a good guy, you said it yourself.”

Eddie huffed as he tried, and failed, to look upset. “I tried but Chris wouldn’t do it,” he told her with an annoyed sounding sigh which only made her laugh harder. He was quiet for a moment while she caught her breath. “You sure you want to marry a wrestler? And don’t you tell me I did it, doesn’t mean I want you to do the same thing.”

“Dad.” Shaul took a deep breath, taking his hands in hers as she debated with herself how to say this. Finally, she settled on the most direct approach. “He’s my Chris.”

“He’s your Chris, huh?”

“Yeah. I… didn’t get it, at first, you know? I was just so hurt, it felt like he was breaking apart our family. God, dad, he was so completely devastated, more so than mom or even me and Sherilyn, after you died. And I realized, especially over the last few years, that what you two have… it’s just this undeniable connection. I couldn't help thinking about how it must have been for you two having to deny just how deeply your feelings for each other ran. Between all us kids, Nancy, and mom, you guys didn’t get a real chance. Until now.”

Swallowing, Eddie squeezed her hands gently. “I never once regretted you and your sister, or even marrying your _madre_. Chris and I, we never expected to have what we have together.”

Shaul nodded in understanding. “I know that, part of me always has. When Matthew and I started seeing each other, Sherilyn was the one who pointed out that he and I look at each other like you and Chris look at one another. The two of you, I don't know if you're aware of it but you guys look at each other like you need one another to _breathe._ You complete each other and that’s how Matt and I feel about each other.”

It took Eddie several seconds to be able to speak, swallowing around the lump that formed in his throat. “Damn,” he finally managed, blinking hard to keep himself from crying. “I guess that’s it then.”

“I do have to say it’s a little weird mom married someone with the same first name though,” she admitted after a second, the two of them sharing a small laugh.

Before they could say anything else, the wedding coordinator was gesturing that it was time. Placing a kiss on her cheek, he adjusted her veil over her face for her and offered his arm. “You ready?”

“Are you?”

He made a face at her, offering his arm as they fell into step together. “I’ll _never_ be ready but it’s happening whether I am or not,” he muttered, smiling slightly when she rested her head on his shoulder for a split second. “I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you too dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vickie Guerrero revealed that Eddie did in fact try to call the night before he passed but she was unable to answer the phone for some reason. I can't bring myself to watch that special on the WWE Network because I know it will make me cry.
> 
> Obviously by the time Shaul married in 2016, Eddie had been gone for ten years so it was important to me to have him be there for her and to walk her down the aisle. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments spark joy 🥰


End file.
